Sun Chariot Stakes: guide, quotes and predicted finish order

Sun Chariot Stakes: guide, quotes and predicted finish order

By Andy Stephens
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
Frankie Dettori requires one more winner to reach 500 victories at Newmarket and, if out of luck in the first three races at Headquarters on Saturday, he will be hoping he can reach the landmark in style via Inspiral in the £275,000 Virgin Bet Sun Chariot Stakes.
Plenty of water has flowed under the bridge since Dettori’s only previous win in the Group One feature, aboard the Luca Cumani-trained Red Slippers in the silks of Sheikh Mohammed in 1992. Red Slippers went off 6/4 favourite and prevailed by a head from a rival ridden by Lester Piggott.
That card also featured the heavily-backed favourite Rambo's Hall winning a second Cambridgeshire, and the hugely popular Further Flight gaining the second of his five successive wins in the Jockey Club Cup. Happy days.
Inspiral is a short-priced market leader and will face seven rivals for a race that forms part of the QIPCO British Champions Series. Here’s a guide to the final field. Watch who wins live on Racing TV.

1 GOLDANA

Timeform rating: 117. Best odds: 25-1.
This three-time winner in Germany won the Group Three Gladness Stakes on her first start in Ireland but has since had her limitations exposed in better company at up to a mile and a quarter, including when sixth in the Pretty Polly Stakes at The Curragh in July. She faded to finish third to Jackie Oh in the 9f Rathbride Stakes at Gowran last time, but was trying to concede 12lb to the winner, who gave the form a timely boost when making Blue Rose Cen pull out all the stops in the Prix de l’Opera on Sunday. Unproven on quick ground but will be fresh after a ten-week absence.

2 HEREDIA

Timeform rating: 121. Best odds: 12-1.
She was supplemented on Monday at a cost of £20,000, and you cannot blame connections after successive wins over this trip at Haydock and Sandown. She was most impressive on the first occasion, romping home by almost four lengths in a competitive Listed event, and also won with something to spare in Group Three company at Sandown, swooping from off a steady pace. Heredia is in deeper waters her but she’s clearly at the top of her game, with her turn of foot being a potent weapon.
What they say - Trainer Richard Hannon: “She’s improved massively in the last two months and she’s on the crest of a wave. She goes on any ground and I think she’ll run a big race. Because she won when she went to Royal Ascot last year we perhaps didn’t realise she had a hard race there. I don’t think she was ever in quite the same form again, but she’s never moved better than she has done lately and she’s as fit as a fiddle.”
What they say - Jockey Sean Levey: "We were a little bit disappointed she didn’t reach the heights after [winning] the Sandringham [last year] because we always thought a lot of her, but she has got over that kind of phase where she wasn’t putting her best foot forward. Going back up to the mile in her last two starts has helped, but at the same time she has come to form at the right time. I would like to think there is definitely a chance she will find improvement, whether it is good enough to beat Inspiral that is yet to be seen, but she deserves to be there taking her chance.”
Frankie Dettori and Inspiral after Prix Jacques le Marois glory (Photo: Dyga/focusonracing.com)

3 INSPIRAL

Timeform rating: 133. Best odds: Evens.
The four-time Group One winner has the best form on offer and it’s little she’s favourite to add to her top-level triumphs. There’s been the odd hiccup for her along the way, but she was back at the top of her game when winning the Jacques Le Marois for the second successive year at Deauville last time and that form got a couple of boosts over the weekend. No other British challenger is rated within 10lb of her and Saturday will mark the two-year anniversary of her a commanding victory on the Rowley Mile in the Fillies’ Mile.
What they say - Chris Richardson of Chevely Park: “She’s in good form and the ground will suit. Softer ground can dampen her finish, but I think the ground on Saturday will be perfect. I think the French filly is the one we’ve got to be worried about, but if you’re not in you can’t win, so let’s hope Frankie can work some more magic. We can see after Saturday whether Mrs Thompson (owner) will consider the Breeders’ Cup option as her swansong, or indeed whether she might stay in training next year, which hasn’t been decided yet.”

4 MQSE DE SEVIGNE

Timeform rating: 131. Best odds: 4-1.
Mqse De Sevigne after winning the Prix Rothschild (focusonracing.com)
There was a time, not so long ago, when French-trained runners routinely won the Sun Chariot. Between 2009 and 2015, Gallic raiders scooped five renewals, with Andre Fabre belatedly getting in on the act with Esoterique. He has another live contender this time carrying the same silks in Mqse De Sevigne, with any commentator worth his salt calling her by her full name of Marquise De Sevigne (revered in France in the 17th century for her letter writing). The record of this four-year-old daughter of Siyouni stands close inspection and she will line up seeking a third successive Group One victory after wins in the Prix Rothschild (two subsequent Group One winners behind) and Prix Jean Romanet (by a nose from Via Sistina). She’s equally at home over ten furlongs but she travels well and that penultimate success shows a straight mile also shows her to maximum effect.
What they say - trainer Andre Fabre: “She is in good shape and I hope she should run well. I don’t think the ground is too much of a concern, maybe over this distance it might be a bit sharp for her but she has done well over this distance before. She will go for the Breeders’ Cup (Filly And Mare Turf) after this.”

5 RANDOM HARVEST

Timeform rating: 117. Best odds: 20-1.
She’s been a grand servant to connections, winning Group Three races at home and abroad and often outrunning her odds, including when runner-up in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes (at Epsom) and Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Royal Ascot). It’s easy enough to overlook her lacklustre run on heavy ground in the Celebration Mile last time, but she’s going to have to take her form to a new level to bustle up the principals.
What they say - Jockey Saffie Osborne: “She ideally wants quick ground and it went very soft that day [at Goodwood last time], as it had done when she ran in the Falmouth. She’s tactically fairly versatile, but she runs her best races on the front end and that day she was edgy in the gates and jumped a bit slowly, so nothing went right for her. The ground should be ideal and Newmarket is a front runner’s tracks. I think she’s up to running a big race, and it’s a race that throws up a few surprises, as it did last year.”

6 ROMAN MIST

Timeform rating: 114. Best odds: 40-1.
The grey mare has come a long way since being beaten off marks in the 60s at the start of 2021 (including on the Rowley Mile) and put up a personal best, on her 30th start, when landing a Group Three contest in Germany on her latest start. Before that, she had been a creditable fifth to Heredia at Sandown, being beaten just over three lengths. This looks an ambitious effort to get a Group One placing on her page, but you cannot blame connections for giving her the opportunity.
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7 COPPICE

Timeform rating: 115. Best odds: 14-1.
The Kingman filly was having only her fourth race when winning the 29-runner Sandringham Stakes off a mark of 97 at Royal Ascot and she showed her effectiveness over course and distance when landing a Listed prize on the Rowley Mile last week, although the from looks nothing out of the ordinary with the first five home separated by about a length. Her connections suggested afterwards that she would be continuing her career in the USA, so must view this as a free roll of the dice before she exits. In between Ascot and her recent win, she had failed to make an impact in the Falmouth Stakes and the Sandown race won by Heredia, but she probably resented the heavy ground on the first occasion and her saddle slipped the second time.
What they say - Barry Mahon, racing manager for owner-breeders Juddmonte: “She’s an intended runner, she came out of last weekend in good shape and the ground looks like it’s going to be good to firm. It’s a huge jump up, but we’re planning on going to America with her as a four-year-old and we thought we’d give her one little bite at a Group One here before she went.”

8 MEDITATE

Timeform rating: 118. Best odds: 9-1.
Her career can almost be divided into two: races in which she’s bumped into Tahiyra (no wins from five) and races in in which she’s not faced Tahiyra (five wins from seven). There’s no Tahiyra to worry about on Saturday but, equally, she looks vulnerable, having been beaten in each of her five races this term. Aidan O’Brien does not often reach for headgear but Meditate wore first-time blinkers in the Matron Stakes last time, without them ever looking like making a significant difference. She stuck on at the one pace to be a one-paced fourth, adrift of Just Beautiful, who was third. I wouldn’t be surprised if front-running tactics are re-employed (hold-up tactics were used last time) but, whichever way you cut it, she needs to pull out more.
VERDICT:
Inspiral is a worthy favourite, and the most likely winner, but Evens looks on the skinny side for a horse who does have a couple of blemishes on her record in the past year or so. The credentials of French challenger MQSE DE SEVIGNE are solid and, at about 4-1, she makes more appeal. Heredia arrives at the top of her game and may be best of the rest.
1 MQSE DE SEVIGNE. 2 INSPIRAL. 3 HEREDIA. 4 MEDITATE. 5 GOLDANA. 6 RANDOM HARVEST. 7 COPPICE. 8 ROMAN MIST

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