Inspiral appears increasingly likely to sidestep the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday in favour of a tilt at the Prince of Wales’s Stakes the following afternoon.
Cheveley Park Stud’s Frankel mare has won six times at Group One level for John and Thady Gosden including a sensational victory in the 2022 Coronation Stakes at the Royal meeting, while she was beaten only a neck by shock winner Triple Time in the Queen Anne 12 months ago.
The five-year-old was fourth to her pacemaking stablemate and fellow Cheveley Park-owned runner Audience in the Lockinge at Newbury on her seasonal debut last month, and connections are now leaning towards stepping up to a mile and a quarter.
Inspiral has already proven herself effective over the longer trip, winning the Breeders’ Cup Filly And Mare Turf at Santa Anita in November under an inspired Frankie Dettori.
Cheveley Park’s managing director, Chris Richardson, said: “It has obviously been given serious consideration and following her success at Santa Anita over a mile and a quarter, where she was very effective, I think it makes sense to step her up.
“The Lockinge was a good starting point, but she was slowly away, which she can be on occasions, and if she is a little tardy away next time at least over a mile and a quarter it will be less important hopefully.”
Switching their star mare to the day two feature event will allow Cheveley Park to split their aces, with Audience therefore lining up as the prominent owners’ first string in the Queen Anne.
Richardson added: “I think he’s got the ability and I think he still remains a progressive horse.
“I hope he will dispel any thoughts that his win in the Lockinge was a bit a fluke.”
Aidan O’Brien, the 12-time top trainer at Royal Ascot, has saddled a record 85 winners at the big meeting and is set for more glory in Berkshire in 2024.
Since being appointed as the trainer in the historic Ballydoyle complex in 1996 at the age of just 26, he has broken every record worth breaking and won every race worth winning in Europe and beyond.
Royal Ascot has always been a focus point for O’Brien, and it is a meeting that he has enjoyed a great amount of success at.
Indeed, he overtook Sir Michael Stoute as the most successful trainer in the long history of the meeting last year with his record now standing at 85 winners. As well as that, O’Brien has been crowned the leading trainer at the meeting on no less than 12 occasions.
Aidan sat down with Kevin Blake of attheraces.com to discuss those that can give him more glory at Royal Ascot in 2024.
Auguste Rodin
He’s in great order and he has been trained for the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. We were happy with his run in the Tattersalls Gold Cup. The hope going into it was that he’d win, but the rain sent the ground in a direction that wasn’t ideal for him. He also just had a little wobble when he got pushed out on the home turn which interrupted his rhythm for a few strides. Even though he was beaten, the run was always going to bring him on. Royal Ascot has been a big part of the plan with him, and we couldn’t be happier with where he is at the minute. We wouldn’t want rain for him and would much prefer faster ground.
Image: Ryan Moore and Auguste Rodin in action
Continuous
The plan is for him to run in the Hardwicke Stakes. We are happy to send him there without a run as we didn’t feel there was a suitable lead-in race for him. He’s been away for two works, and he seems in good form. He ran great the last time we saw him on the track in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. We thought afterwards that maybe we rode him too quietly and that he would have run better with a more positive ride. We think there’s more to come from him and hopefully he can make a strong start to his season at Royal Ascot.
Kyprios
He is bang on target for the Gold Cup. He has hit every marker we’ve set for him this season and it has all gone very smoothly. He’s never likely to be the type to stretch away and after what happened in France, where he veered left after hitting the front, we are never in a rush to deliver him to the front. We would always ideally like to get him a lead for as long as possible. After all the difficulties he faced last season, we are excited to see him back in the Gold Cup.
Diego Velazquez
It isn’t locked in yet, but at the minute it looks like he could go for the Hampton Court Stakes on the Thursday. We are inclined to forgive his run in the Prix du Jockey Club last time. He had a wide draw and Ryan wasn’t happy with the slot he ended up in from out there in what was a messy race. We think he’ll leave that run behind him and the Hampton Court looks a nice spot for him.
Image: Diego Velazquez and Ryan Moore win for trainer Aidan O’Brien
Henry Longfellow
Henry Longfellow will go for the St James’s Palace Stakes. His last run in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains was a bit of a mess. He got trapped back in the field in a slowly-run race and every time he tried to come out someone cut the head off him. It was a bit of a non-event, but he didn’t have a hard race as a result, and he seems to have come forward from it. We think he’ll perform an awful lot better at Royal Ascot. If the rain comes, that’ll be fine for him.
Opera Singer
We’re really looking forward to seeing her in the Coronation Stakes. She had a hold-up earlier this year and we felt we had to run her in the Irish 1,000 Guineas if she was going to make it to Royal Ascot. She hadn’t been away for a work and really, we didn’t expect her to run as well as she did at the Curragh as we didn’t think she had nearly enough work done. It says plenty about how much class and ability she has that she ran so well. She looks to have come forward at home just as we hoped she would since then and she’s one to look forward to.
River Tiber
The plan is to run him in the Jersey Stakes. He ran very well in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and in fairness, you couldn’t say he didn’t get the mile, but he does show a lot of pace and we feel the Jersey Stakes is a nice spot for him. We’ll learn more about him there, but it wouldn’t be at all out of the question that he could go back up to a mile after the Jersey. We’ll be guided by what we see from him there. He’s a horse we’ve always held in high regard and we’ll looking forward to him.
Image: Moore looks across to see River Tiber has just edged out Army Ethos in the Coventry
Two-year-olds…
Bedtime Story – The plan is to run her in the Chesham Stakes. We were delighted with her performance at Leopardstown. We didn’t really set out to try and force any of these two-year-olds into getting to the Chesham, we just let it happen if it happened. She put her hand up for the job at Leopardstown and looked a classy filly.
Camille Pissarro – The plan is for him to run in the Coventry Stakes. We have thought for quite some time that he is a Coventry horse. He works like a very good horse. He was just green in the Marble Hill last time. Ryan felt he was very babyish and would come forward a good bit again. We’re looking forward to him.
Celtic Chieftain – I’d say he’s likely to run in the Windsor Castle Stakes. He was ready to run early, but he had a little hold-up that delayed him. We were delighted with what he did at Navan, and it was great to see him beat a horse in Red Evolution that had such a good run under his belt. He was plenty green when he hit the front. He should sharpen up and come on plenty from that.
Easy Mover – I don’t think she’ll run as it might come a little bit soon for her after only winning on Friday. If she was going to run, it would be the Albany Stakes, but I’d say more than likely she’ll wait for the Airlie Stud Stakes at the Curragh at the end of the month.
Fairy Godmother – She’ll go for the Albany Stakes. She has always worked like a really good filly. We couldn’t see her being beaten on her debut at Naas, but when she got there to challenge, she started looking all over the place and was beaten. So, for her second start we set out with the intention of riding her much quieter and teaching her as much as we could. She quickened up really well from off the pace to win narrowly and for us she could be rated a fair bit better than the bare form. She seems to have come forward again and is a really lovely prospect.
Heavens Gate – We’re aiming her at the Queen Mary Stakes. It’s a possibility that she might find that test a little bit sharp for her, but we have to split them up and we hope she might get away with it as she had good pace. I could see her running over seven furlongs later in the season.
Treasure Isle – He’s one for the Windsor Castle Stakes. He knuckled down well when winning at Naas last time and we think he’s come forward from that. He has plenty of pace and should enjoy Ascot.
Image: Treasure Isle and Ryan Moore win for trainer Aidan O’Brien from Saratoga Special
Tunbridge Wells – He’s another one that isn’t a certain runner at Royal Ascot. If he goes, it’ll be in the Coventry Stakes. If he doesn’t go, he’ll be one for the Railway Stakes. He galloped through the line very well at the Curragh and looks a nice prospect.
Whistlejacket – He’s the one for the Norfolk Stakes. We thought he couldn’t be beaten on his debut, and he ran great, but he bumped into what looked a really good horse in Cowardofthecounty. He had no problem dropping back in trip for the First Flier Stakes and was impressive there. The form has worked out well since then. His full-brother Little Big Bear was beaten on debut and went on to win the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot and we think this fella will go there with a big chance.
Ante-post favourite Passenger will miss the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot due to an infection; “It would be a race against time to have him spot on for Ascot. Hopefully he will be ready for the Eclipse”; Auguste Rodin is now the bookmakers’ favourite at 7/4
