Royal Ascot: Inspiral could run in Queen Anne Stakes

By David Ord

Football

Wed June 05, 2024 · 10M ago

Inspiral could again clash with stable and owner-mate Audience in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The latter sprang a 22/1 shock in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes on the pair’s return to action at Newbury in May with Inspiral back in fourth having been sent off the 2/1 favourite.

The Prince of Wales’s Stakes was thought to be an alternative target for last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine, which would mark a return to ten furlongs for her.

But speaking on Tuesday’s Nick Luck’s Daily Podcast, Chris Richardson, Managing Director of Cheveley Park Stud, admitted that might not be the case.

One of the issues complicating plans is that Passenger and White Birch, first and second favourite for the Wednesday showpiece, are both sons of Ulysees, a sire that stands at Cheveley Park.

Richardson said: “We all saw how impressive Inspiral was and how she needed every yard in America to win so impressively coming off the bend and Frankie giving her a fantastic ride to get up. The plan is certainly to step her up in trip and in the back of my mind I was thinking of something like the Juddmonte International at York.

“The Prince Of Wales’s is a consideration but there are other considerations and other competitors in that race from a business point of view that I have to consider.

“White Birch who we bred and are very proud of would probably prefer some ease in the ground. We’ve seen him to best effect with some cut and that might be a consideration but certainly Passenger who we know is owned by our partners in Ulysees looks to have improved again and is certainly a leading contender.

“It’s going to be an interesting dilemma from a business point of view however there’s much to discuss. He’s still a highly exciting stallion and I think still under-rated, which is something I would naturally say, and the horses that have progressed from three to four, as Ulysees did to win the Eclipse and Juddmonte International, has just been highlighted. Fingers crossed that momentum can keep going.”

So the Queen Anne is under serious consideration for Inspiral and is already the firm plan for the all-the-way Newbury winner.

“I don’t think Audience will be given an easy lead, I think there could be plenty of pace in there, but as John and Thady (Gosden) have said, the filly needed the run that day and she was probably doing just enough on the gallops. I saw her on Saturday and she came out of that particularly well and there is a strong possibility we may run both in the Queen Anne and be double-handed," Richardson added.

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