Inspiral Delights Dettori With Fillies' Mile Win

Inspiral  lived up to her astrological-themed name with a star performance Oct. 8 in the Bet365 Fillies' Mile (G1) to cement her claims for next year's Classics on the Rowley Mile.

The Cheveley Park Stud flagbearer wore her usual red hood in the preliminaries but it was her rivals who were soon seeing red on track as she swept out of the dip under Frankie Dettori to score for John and Thady Gosden.

Drawn wide away from the main action on the far rail in stall eight as the race unfolded, Dettori was able to track Cachet , who set a decent pace up the middle, before striking for home when the groups converged at the two-furlong pole.

After hitting top gear in the dip, the 8-11 favorite was well in command to sink Prosperous Voyage  by 2 1/2 lengths, with Cachet a neck further back in third.

After his seventh win in the race, Dettori said: "Inspiral is the real deal, no doubt about it, and she just keeps improving. Before the race I thought she may need a mile and a quarter by now but she traveled so well and finished off so well that hopefully she can go to the Guineas next year and then perhaps further."

Paddy Power cut Inspiral to 6-1 (from 8) for next year's Cazoo Oaks (G1), although the jury is out over whether she will stay a mile and a half.

John Gosden said: "Inspiral is improving with her racing and was pretty professional today. She's a big girl but she's getting stronger all the time. We'll see how she comes through the winter as regards to next year but if we have a cold one with those east winds we could go straight for the One Thousand Guineas (G1). She'll get a mile and a quarter no problem but I don't know about a mile and a half."

Prosperous Voyage narrowed the gap on Inspiral from their previous encounter, having finished 3 3/4 lengths behind when second in the Cazoo May Hill Stakes (G2), and jockey Rob Hornby expects her to be a live Oaks contender next year.

He said: "She's a lovely filly and has improved throughout the year. I felt today I was a bit closer and fighting all the way to the line. She'll be a proper horse next year. She's more of an Oaks filly and the more she strengthens up, the further she'll stay."

Despite spreading a plate on the way down to the start, Cachet outran her odds to take third at 22-1, with trainer George Boughey also eyeing a tilt at the One Thousand Guineas next May.

"She's got a very good mind and I wasn't worried when she spread a plate. She's run a massive race and is group 1-placed. It's a huge feather in her cap," he said. "The mile is probably her trip. She was on fumes towards the end as she covered a lot of ground. She'll be back for a trial next year."