13 August 2023
Photo scoopdyga.com
Sunday 13th August 2023, Deauville-La Touques Racecourse (Calvados). – Last year's winner Inspiral (Frankel), replicated her success in this 102nd edition of the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois (Gr1), an inter-generational championship over a mile with a purse of one million euros.
Homebred by Cheveley Park Stud, the 4-year-old mare is trained in Newmarket by John and Thady Gosden and was ridden by Lanfranco Dettori. This victory marks Dettori's eighth win in this prestigious race, and this summer will be his final appearance on the Deauville racecourse. He claimed his first “Le Marois” in 1999 with the exceptional Dubai Millennium.
Inspiral, on her part, was coming back after facing defeat twice,on the soft ground at Ascot in the Queen Anne Stakes (Gr1) and then when fifth and last in the Sussex Stakes (Gr1). Positioned further back here, she made her move at the 2-furlong marker, making her move to the centre of the course, and successfully overcame the race leader and favourite, Big Rock (Rock of Gibraltar). He was eventually bested by a solid length, with third place going to Light Infantry (Fast Company) and Onesto (Frankel) making apromising return in fourth.
Inspiral is out of Starscope (Selkirk), runner-up in the 1,000 Guineas and the Coronation Stakes. A winner of both these races last term, she has emulated her dam’s performance, being her fourth victorious offspring in as many sent to training. A Siyouni colt was unsold at £350,000 last October at Tattersalls. The second dam is a sister to the exceptional stallion and champion miler, Medicean.
Inspiral’s Ulysses colt is set to feature in the upcoming October yearling sales in Newmarket.
Inspiral is the first mare to win the race twice since Miesque (1987 and 1988). John Gosden has claimed victory in the last four editions of the race with Palace Pier, who also secured a double, and this filly. This brings his tally to five, including the stellar stallion Kingman's triumph in 2014.