John Gosden is leaning towards giving star filly Inspiral an outing in the Coral Heron Stakes at Sandown Park next month after deciding to swerve an appearance at Newmarket on Sunday in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas.
The Newmarket handler, who trains the daughter of Frankel in partnership with his son Thady, has earmarked the mile Listed prize on Thursday 19th May, which the pair claimed 12 months ago with Mostahdaf, as the likely starting point for Cheveley Park Stud’s homebred filly.
After winning all four of her starts at two, culminating in victory in the Group One bet365 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket in October, plans had been in place for Inspiral to return to the Rowley Mile and make her seasonal debut in this weekend’s QIPCO 1000 Guineas.
However, plans to run Inspiral in the opening fillies’ Classic were shelved by Gosden senior at the weekend after it was revealed she had missed several days of training leaving her facing a race against time to be ready for the mile prize.
John Gosden said: “In the case of Inspiral, all being well, she will run in the Heron Stakes as a prep for the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.
“She missed those critical eight to 10 days of training during trials week here and from that point of view I couldn’t run her at 80 per cent as that wouldn’t be very clever.
“It was a straightforward decision in the end not to run in the Guineas when you miss that period of training. You have got to be at full match fitness for a Guineas.
“You can’t miss two critical bits of work and think you are going to be there so to that extent it was not a difficult decision. You do the right thing by the filly and the right thing was not to run.
“I was just going through the book last night and there are no fillies’ race for her in this country.
“She can’t for the Michael Seeley Memorial Stakes at York as she is not eligible and consequently the Heron comes at the right time.”
By Graham Clark/Sandown Park Press Release
