Inspiral © Photo Healy Racing
Inspiral is set to take on the colts in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville this weekend, after pleasing connections in a Tuesday morning workout in Newmarket.
John and Thady Gosden’s filly enjoyed a faultless juvenile campaign last season, rounded off with victory in the Fillies' Mile, but her reappearance was delayed until Royal Ascot in June.
The daughter of Frankel looked better than ever as she easily dismissed her rivals on that belated return in the Coronation Stakes, only to then suffer a shock defeat to the Ralph Beckett-trained Prosperous Voyage when a 1/7 favourite to follow up in the Falmouth at Newmarket.
John Gosden said in the immediate aftermath he felt Inspiral had run "a little flat" off the back of her spectacular Royal Ascot display, and Chris Richardson - managing directors for her owner-breeders Cheveley Park Stud - was pleased with what he saw in her latest workout under Frankie Dettori.
He said: "I think we’re heading for Deauville, all being well. We were pleased this morning and Frankie was very happy with her.
"Obviously it's a tough race, as all those sort of races are. You've got Coroebus and William’s (Haggas) colt (Maljoom), who was obviously a bit unlucky in the St James’s Palace, but she seems in good form and the plan is to roll the dice."
Reflecting on her Falmouth reverse, Richardson added: "We were scratching our heads a bit and funnily enough we did the same with Nannina, who won the Coronation (in 2006) and ran flat in the Falmouth, so we've done it before and it didn't work out.
"We thought Inspiral had only had the one run all year, maybe she'd come on for it and everything would be fine, but it didn't happen unfortunately.
"Anyway, it's a learning game this - you're always learning - and she was moving well this morning, so that was good."
