Inspiral and Frankie Dettori won the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket

When she's good, she's very good and Inspiral was close to her best in the mile Group 1, producing a scintillating display to decimate her rivals.

Settled just behind the pace by Dettori, she moved easily over towards the far side rail when asked to by her jockey as he looked for racing room and was going so well that she hit the front passing the three furlong marker.

There was nothing left for Dettori to do but ask her to win her race fully two furlongs from home.

Market rival and French challenger Mqse De Sevigne moved through the pack into second but never looked like catching Inspiral who scooted clear to win by three and three quarter lengths.

Mqse De Sevigne claimed second with Heredia third.

A delighted Dettori duly treated the Newmarket crowd to his familiar and popular celebration, a flying dismount.

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"She would prefer a much stronger tempo," said Dettori.

"I know she's got a crescendo of three furlongs and I didn't want to mess around; I thought 'come on let's go, come and catch me' and there was daylight and she strode out really well. She's a super filly when she's on song and today she was.

"I had the gap between Oisin and Saffie and Saffie decided to join us and I didn't want to mess around by looking for gaps so I thought give her some clean air and use her stride because I know she's got one and once I got there, slingshot down the hill and it was all over.

"She gave me a nightmare ride in France; she was a flowerpot knocking people over, but today she was good. I was quite worried why she was so quiet, sometimes when they're quiet they can be over the top or coming into season but that wasn't the case, she was quiet because she was having a good day!

"When I got to 499 last week I thought at least I've got Inspiral to look forward to as I knew she would be there or thereabouts. I didn't know until last week when Amy Starkey, one of the Newmarket directors, told me I was so close. It is my home and it's fantastic to be able to do it on a Group 1 on a special filly; I couldn't have wrote a better ending.

"I woke up with a knot in my stomach, I didn't feel myself, nervous, sad, emotional but at least I got it done and I've got two weeks left."

Paying his tribute to his long-time friend, John Gosden said: “It is lovely. What a way to do it in a Group 1. He is an absolute icon. He is wonderful and he has been great over the years to work with and continues to be so.

"I’m sure I’ll be running some horses in California (Breeders’ Cup) for him.

“He is great working with in the mornings and not all jockeys are like that. He is a great judge in the mornings on his work and I will miss him there as much as racing in the afternoon strangely. I would have thought when he retires he fully retires.

“He is doing it cleverly. He is not just stopping bold. He is doing it the right way. He is bringing it down gently. He will be riding in Japan, Hong Kong, California and in the Middle East in the winter. Where there are big races he will pop up. I don’t know that (if he was to carry on riding in Britain after this year), but it would be a huge thing.”

It was a fifth top flight success for Inspiral and Gosden, who trains her in partnership with his son Thady, added: “She was in top form today. The ground was quick, and she runs on anything bar the heavy of Goodwood. She showed a lot of class today there is no doubt about it. She travelled well and there was a good pace. Andre's (Fabre) dual Group One winner from Deauville was second so it is solid form.

“We missed the Lockinge as she had a muscle spasm problem so by the time we got to Royal Ascot she was only about 80 per cent fit. She was only beaten a neck that day and she got a touch tired in the last half a furlong, but she has been faultless since. She had an elaborate piece of work in the Sussex Stakes, but we were clear if she didn’t handle the ground we would wrap up on her and head to Deauville.

“There was a lot more pressure on today as she is a very good filly, and the ground is quicker here than we would expect to find here in the autumn. It is real fast summer ground, but she has run absolutely superbly, and I couldn’t be more pleased.

“Plans, we will see. She is in the QEII and she could be entered at the Breeders’ Cup but we won’t make a decision for at least a week or two. I always want to see how they are two or three days after the race before making any grandiose plans, let alone plans. They would be the two options if she is in good nick.

"One lady will decide, if she races on, and that is Mrs Thompson. That was only her fourth run this year and she (Inspiral) is weighing the heaviest she has ever weighed."

Timeform View: David Cleary

Inspiral produced as good a performance as she has in her career, adding a fifth success at the highest level as she routed her rivals. In terms of the race's history since it became a Group 1 in 2004, only Attraction in that year has produced a clearly superior effort.

Travelling smoothly under a patient ride, the way in which she moved onto the heels of the leaders at halfway was electric. When asked by Dettori two furlongs out, Inspiral soon had the race in the bag. The dual Group 1 winner Mqse de Sevigne came through to edge second from Heredia, the runner-up perhaps asked for her effort later than ideal, though she'd have still been no threat to the impressive winner.

Inspiral hasn't been the most consistent in her career, but when she's on song she is clearly a high-class miler. As such she will be a match for any if she takes her chance in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day at Ascot. It's possible conditions might become softer than ideal for her in the next two weeks, but the Filly & Mare Turf at the Breeders' Cup might offer an ideal alternative for a swansong.

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