The Paddington form was franked at Deauville in France on Sunday when quality Frankel mare Inspiral bounced back from her last start fifth to the glamour three year-old colt in the Group I Sussex Stakes to take the Group I Prix Jacques le Marois (1600m) for the second year in a row.
Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Inspiral won this race last year as a three year-old filly beating Australian owned Light Infantry, who then travelled to Australia to finish sixth in the Golden Eagle behind I Wish I Win.
This time around she was again partnered by Frankie Dettori and Light Infantry was also in the line up with the mare scoring a length and a quarter win over race favourite Big Rock with Light Infantry a gallant third.
It was the swansong at Deauville for Dettori, who retires at the end of the year.
"It’s so emotional," said Dettori, who had won the race for past four years, twice on Palace Pier and now twice on Inspiral.
"I didn’t expect Yves Saint-Martin to be here, one of my heroes and a legend in France. The Jacques le Marois is steeped in history, with great horses and I’ve won it the last four years straight with John [Gosden].
"It’s probably taking the gloss off Inspiral, she did all the work. I couldn’t write it. To win it, it’s amazing.
"She has her moments. We took Paddington on – somebody had to do it – on heavy ground and it didn’t work out. But I was easy on the filly because this was always the plan. She needs a good pace and not soft ground. She got both here and when she’s good, she’s very good."
A homebred for Cheveley Park Stud, Inspiral is a four-time Group I winner and is a half-sister to stakes-placed Celestran and is the best of four winners from Group I placed Starscope, a half-sister by Selkirk to stakes-winner Solar Magic from the family of Group I winning miler Medicean.
Eight months into the year and Frankel has already sired 30 stakes-winners worldwide and nine of them are Group I winners!!
