Inspiral to prove class at Doncaster
It is difficult to look beyond the exciting Inspiral as she puts her unbeaten record on the line in the Cazoo May Hill Stakes at Doncaster.
John and Thady Gosden’s filly is a typically well-bred product of Cheveley Park Stud, being a daughter of the mighty Frankel out of highclass racemare Starscope, who was runner-up in the 1000 Guineas and the Coronation Stakes as a three-yearold.
Inspiral was strong in the market on her racecourse debut at Newmarket in late June and duly delivered – recovering from a tardy start to beat subsequent winner Ardbraccan with something to spare.
She was subsequently stepped up to Listed class for Sandown’s Star Stakes and could hardly have been more impressive in beating the 89-rated Wild Beauty, who has since gone close in the Group Three Sweet Solera.
Inspiral already tops antepost lists for next year’s 1000 Guineas and the Oaks – and those odds are certain to contract further if she can complete her hat-trick on Town Moor by providing the Gos- den team with a sixth May Hill success.
The Clarehaven camp have a good chance of completing a big-race double in the following Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes, with course scorer Free Wind of obvious interest, but narrow preference is for the Roger Varian-trained Save A Forest.
The daughter of Kingman has come a long way since opening her account at Wolverhampton in March, going on to win a Windsor handicap and finish second in the Lingfield Oaks Trial at Lingfield on her next couple of starts.
Save A Forest then finished a creditable fourth in an Oaks dominated by the brilliant Snowfall at Epsom before knuckling down to claim Listed honours in Newmarket’s Chalice Stakes.
The runner-up from that event, Sayyida, was subsequently no match for Free Wind in France, and on the book Save A Forest has a bit to find with the likely favourite on official ratings.
However, there is every chance the step up to a a mile and three-quarters from a mile and a half will help Varian’s charge take her game to another level. The most valuable race on day two of Doncaster’s St Leger Festival is the Weatherbys Scientific
£200,000 2-Y-O Stakes, which can go the way of Tom Dascombe’s Ever Given.
Since impressing in a nursery at Glorious Goodwood, the son of Kodi Bear has contested two similarly valuable sales races – finishing fourth behind unbeaten filly Sacred Bridge in Ireland before getting back on the winning trail at York.
Others are perhaps open to more improvement, but Ever Given looks sure to be involved at the business end.