Oaks winner Soul Sister ruled out for rest of the season but back in 2024
Soul Sister, who gave Frankie Dettori what could be his final Classic win when landing the Betfred Oaks at Epsom in June, will not be seen out again this season but is to remain in training as a four-year-old in 2024.
But John and Thady Gosden and Dettori could still enjoy success in some of the best fillies races this autumn as plans were revealed for four-time Group 1 winner Inspiral, who is to have a campaign pointing towards the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita in November.
Soul Sister is heading to her owner-breeder Lady Bamford’s Daylesford Stud in Gloucestershire for the winter to recover from a "little niggle" that brought the three-year-old daughter of Frankel's season to a premature end. She finished third when facing the colts for the first time in the Grand Prix de Paris when last in action in July.
Joint-trainer John Gosden said on Friday: “Soul Sister is leaving the yard today to enjoy some time at her owner’s stud as she needs some time to recover from a little niggle she picked up after her run at Longchamp. All being well, the plan is for her to stay in training in 2024.”
Soul Sister has only raced five times, having made her debut last October when scoring over a mile in a fillies' maiden at Doncaster.
After a disappointing comeback run in the Fred Darling Stakes at Newbury in April, Soul Sister came from last to first to land the Group 3 Musidora Stakes at York under Dettori the following month.
She enjoyed her finest hour when overcoming the well-fancied Savethelastdance in decisive fashion on her first attempt at a mile and a half in the Epsom Oaks.
After her most recent run at Longchamp, the Group 1 Prix Vermeille at the same track this month had been mooted as a possible target for Soul Sister but she will not take up that possible engagement.
As for plans for Inspiral, who won the Prix Jacques le Marois for a second time at Deauville last month, the Cheveley Park Stud-owned star will bypass the Group 1 Coolmore-sponsored Matron Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday week in favour of a target closer to home.
Gosden said: “Inspiral has come out of her French win in good shape and the plan is to take her to the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket on October 7 and then possibly to the Breeders’ Cup Mile.”
Inspiral is a best-price 3-1 joint favourite alongside stablemate Nashwa with William Hill for the Sun Chariot, a race she missed last year in favour of running in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions’ Day at Ascot.
Beyond that, the daughter of Frankel is a 7-1 co-second favourite with bet365 for the Breeders’ Cup Mile behind her old foe Paddington, who heads the betting at 9-4.
Gosden added: “The Breeders’ Cup is at Santa Anita this year which is a track I know well as I trained out in California many years ago. The track should suit Inspiral and it looks the right place to go.”
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