Sussex Stakes: Inspiral takes Deauville by storm
Jockey Frankie Dettori riding Fanny Logan wins The Hardwicke Stakes on day four of the Royal Ascot horse racing meet, in Ascot, west of London, on June 19, 2020. Edward Whitaker|AFP
Matching Frankie Dettori's inspiration with determination, Inspiral bounced back from a soggy no-show in the Sussex Stakes to enter the Deauville archives.
Frankie extended his record number of wins in the €1 million Prix du Haras du Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois to eight and has now combined with Team Gosden to win the last four outings. Inspiral 7-1 on the pari-mutuel, joined Miesque, Spinning World and her former stablemate Palace Pier, as the only dual winners of this milestone of the European Flat season.
Drawn closest to the stand-side, Inspiral, not a fast stalls breaker, dropped behind and across, before gradually working herself behind the guaranteed pace-setter Big Rock (Arelien Lemaitre 5-1). He sure did give Inspiral something to think about, just a length back in second at the post.
The Breeders' Cup Mile looks a strong possibility for Inspiral's late-season target, already 5-1 joint-favourite with Tahiyra in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
In the months to come, at Longchamp, Ascot and Santa Anita, Frankie will be doing well to eclipse the manner of his Prix Jacques le Marois after executing a tactically astute ride.
As Inspiral's owners made way, silverware in hand, Frankie was joined on the podium by a guard of honour from his weighing-room colleagues, capped with a big French hug from France's most popular 81-year-old, Yves Saint-Martin.
Gianfranco Dettori confided in Yves Saint-Martin that he would be sending young Lanfranco to Britain while the two old sparring partners were taking part in an international challenge in South Africa.
There may be even more emotional farewells ahead, although Dettori was clearly struggling to hold himself together. "It’s hard not to cry, I’m very happy. Crazy trying to absorb what has transpired." Yves stepped in to add his thoughts: "My admiration is limitless. Racing will not be the same again. Its shine can diminish instantly."
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Me and My Shadow was full of run turning for home en route to a blast in the $250,000 Bison City Stakes, for Canadian-foaled 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine. Seattle Causeway (Leo Salles 13-1), broke running from the rail in the second jewel of the Canadian Triple Tiara, as did Fashionably Fab and Collect Dattt, the trio taking a field of eight (Delphia was scratched at the gate).
Seattle Causeway established command and held a 1.5 length lead over her closest pursuer through an opening section, while Emma-Jayne Wilson settled Me and My Shadow into the seventh spot in the early going.
After widening her advantage, Seattle Causeway started to increase their lead, but Me and My Shadow (Luke Wilson), were already rolling on the outside and loomed majorly as things hotted up.
On top marginally at the stretch call, Me and my Shadow dashed away from her pursuers to record an emphatic strike in a time of 1:44.3/10, for 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta. Tito's Calling was a neck in front of Fashionably Fab for second. Seattle Causeway was fourth. The final Canadian Triple Tiara, $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, at 1 ¼ miles on Woodbine's E.P. Taylor turf, is set for September 10.
