Inspiral gives Frankie Dettori his 500th win with her best ever race

Inspiral knew exactly what was wanted of her in the Virgin Bet Sun Chariot Stakes.  She ran her best ever race to donate Frankie Dettori his 500th success, and enhance Frankel's ever-growing dynasty. Spectators latched on to the fact quickly, applauding Inspiral beyond their vocal chords up the Rowley Mile.

John and Thady Gosden's filly appeared to be working well at home leading up to the race, then transferred that same lingo to bolster Frankie's retirement CV.

Mounted in the chute and sporting her usual red hood to post, Inspiral looked as if she could have done with her own pacemaker in the early stages of the mile contest, but tracked a pace set by outsiders Roman Mist and Random Harvest.

Angled towards the far rail with three furlongs left, she got first run on French filly Mqse De Sevigne and her other main rival, Heredia, to score by3.75 lengths.

Inspiral, on just her fourth outing of the season, could now step up to a 1.4 miles for the first time in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita next month. Connections have also raised the prospect of her racing next season, although a final decision will be made over the winter. Frankie said: "I couldn't have written a better ending. Newmarket has been my life for the past 38 years. An emotional knot in my stomach this morning means it is difficult leaving this sport." Doubtlessly, Frankie is going to suffer withdrawal systems as we all do.

***

The winners thought they were second and runners-up thought they had won, but judge's evidence on screen fooled them all. This was the scenario as Atrium edged out Popmaster in a head-bobbing finish to the £180,000 Howden Challenge Cup.

Screams of disbelief from Popmaster punters as the result was called out, suggested they too had been deceived but, despite being behind a stride before and a stride after the line, Atrium got the decisive nod on the wire.

"I genuinely thought we'd been beaten," said winning trainer Charlie Fellowes. "Then, I turned around and watched the slow-motion replay and saw he had his nose down right time right plac. He deserved that big time and has knocked on the door in big handicaps for ages. He had a really hard race when dead-heating at Doncaster knocking the stuffing from him for a couple of runs. He's been slow out of the gate and you could see it had left a mark, so we've done a few different things between his last run and here, and it seemed to have freshened him. He was a much happier horse."

The difference between first and second was almost £50,000 in prize-money and Atrium gave owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing the perfect leaving present as he likely heads to the horses-in-training sale next.

"This will be his last run for me unless I can find someone wealthy to buy him back for me," added Fellowes. "He's a real character and you can't help but love him. Ascot is his favorite. Harry Davies has ridden two for me today in big races.

On the wrong side of photo-finish was Popmaster's owner Laurence Bellman, who still had trouble believing the result as he watched several replays.

"I still think we've won," said Lurence after replay number three. "Tom Marquand just thought he had a little look at the other horse and it's so unfair. He's running out of his skin at the moment and he's a great servant. If he doesn't run on Champions Day I think we'll put him away for the season."