Coronation Stakes (Group 1)

THE Group 1 Coronation Stakes looked a really competitive renewal with the first and second from both the 1000 Guineas and the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches in the field, but it was the filly who was forced to miss the classics who proved a class apart.

Inspiral (John and Thady Gosden/Frankie Dettori) was a hot favourite to win the Guineas on the back of an impressive win in the Fillies’ Mile as a two-year-old, but she had a training setback in the spring and didn’t come to hand in time for the Guineas. That saw her a little weak in the early betting for the Coronation, but support came for her late and she was returned favourite at 15/8.

Simple race

If the lead-up was complicated, the race itself was deceptively simple, with Cachet and Prosperous going head-to-head from the start as they did at the finish of the 1000 Guineas, with Inspiral held up close to the rear after a poor start which must have made Dettori’s heart sink.

Spendarella (Graham Motion/Will Buick) threw down a challenge to Cachet inside the last quarter mile, and Frankie began to weave his way through the field at the same point.

A furlong out, Inspiral, racing wide of the others, joined Spendarella and Cachet, and in the blink of an eye she was clear, with Discoveries (Jessica Harrington/Shane Foley) and Tenebrism running on to challenge for places.

Inspiral was hugely impressive as she quickened away and was four and three-quarter lengths ahead of Spendarella at the post, with Discoveries and Tenebrism inches behind in third and fourth.

Bruising

After a bruising couple of days for the pair, this win came as a relief to both John Gosden and Frankie Dettori. The unfortunate defeat of Stradivarius, which clearly caused tension in the camp, was again brought up in the aftermath of this victory, the first of the week for the powerful Clarehaven stable.

Asked for his reaction after the race, Gosden suppressed a wry smile: “There was an element of relief at the furlong pole and surprise at the line.” He replied. “I asked Frankie coming in. I like the jockey’s first reaction before they have time to think on what they feel, and he said ‘I think you could go a mile and a quarter with her.’ This is a stiff mile.

“You have races like the Nassau at Goodwood, or you could go for the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville. Remember, you will meet the older horses now, but she does get weight from them which helps.”

Move on

“You can’t keep looking back,” said Gosden on the subject of Stradivarius’s defeat in the Gold Cup. “You discuss it, deal with it, and move on. Horses need your full attention and can’t deal with you having your lip down. You just get on with it.

“You can have too much going on in your head, but regarding Strad he goes to Goodwood and was always going to go.”

Asked about his trials and tribulations, a relieved Dettori said: “You have to put it behind you. This morning I was still thinking about it, but you have to cancel it out, you can’t read too much into it, things people are saying, it is gone now.

“It took a long time for Inspiral to come to hand. John gave her the time she needed and, in her last couple of works, she told us she was good to go. It was a question mark if she trained on. She had pleased us, but we were still unsure.”