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In her only start in the U.S., Inspiral ran them all down in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf under Frankie Dettori. (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
John and Thady Gosden-Trained Mare Bids for Automatic Berth into $2 Million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar
Breeders’ Cup Release
DEAUVILLE, France ― Cheveley Park Stud’s Inspiral (GB) headlines a quality field of eight runners as she seeks a third consecutive victory in the Aug. 11 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois (G1) at Deauville Racecourse. The winner of the 1-mile contest on turf will be provided an automatic starting position into the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) via the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 82 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California.
John and Thady Gosden have opted to replace Kieran Shoemark with Ryan Moore for the ride aboard Inspiral. The Cheveley Park homebred mare currently sits among a group of four outstanding milers that have won the race twice: the brilliant Miesque, Spinning World, and another from Gosden’s Clarehaven Stables, Palace Pier (GB), who won the race in 2020 and 2021. Victory on Sunday would give the yard a remarkable fifth straight win in the race.
Inspiral was last seen at Royal Ascot when finishing fifth to Auguste Rodin (IRE) in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1). The 2023 Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) champion is dropping down in trip to 1-mile for the first time this season.
John Gosden spoke about the jockey change and his hopes for improvement back on a track she likes. He said: “Inspiral is attempting to win the Jacques le Marois for a third year running. She has always had a pattern of taking time to find her form in the season and is now pleasing us at home. As previously publicly stated by me, there was no jockey error in either ride. She now returns to the flat mile of Deauville.”
The Roger Varian-trained Charyn (IRE) has already landed an automatic berth into the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) by winning the Queen Anne Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot. The son of Dark Angel (IRE), who will once again be partnered by Silvestre De Sousa, has won three of four starts this year, including the April 26 bet365 Mile (G2) at Sandown.
Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum’s Quddwah (GB), the unbeaten 4-year-old trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, was victorious in the Group 2 Anne Cowley Memorial Summer Mile at Ascot last month. This will be his first attempt in a Group 1 race, and he will be ridden by Callum Shepherd, who is also searching for his first ever win at the top level.
The Mario Baratti-trained Metropolitan (FR) finished third to Europe’s top miler, Rosallion (IRE), in the St. James’s Palace Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot a month after claiming Group 1 glory in the Emirates Poule d’Essais des Poulains (G1) at Longchamp. The son of Zarak (FR) is one of two 3-year-olds in the race.
Fellow 3-year-old, Haatem (IRE), winner of the Jersey Stakes (G3) at Royal Ascot has also been declared. The Richard Hannon-trained son of Phoenix of Spain (IRE) has proven to be competitive in Group 1 company having finished second to Rosallion in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas and third to Notable Speech (GB) in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.
Big Rock (FR) finished second to Inspiral in last year’s renewal when trained by Christopher Head. The 4-year-old is now trained by Maurizio Guarnieri but was disappointing in his last two starts in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes and the Queen Anne Stakes in 2024.
The current going at Deauville is soft with the forecast looking dry and sunny ahead of Sunday’s race.
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois (G1) to start in the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1). Breeders’ Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 21 to receive the rewards.
