Kevin Blake's Big Race Verdict: Tamfana can land her first Group 1 in Sun Chariot Stakes

• Kevin Blake gives his Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes verdict

• Tamfana can land her first Group 1 event

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Inspiral Superboost

Super mare Inspiral is back in action this afternoon bidding to win the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes at 14:40 for a second year running. John and Thady Gosden's 5yo trounced her rivals in this contest 12 months ago and for today, the Betfair Sportsbook have super-boosted her odds to finish in the top three from 4/91.44 to 1/12.00.

To take advantage of this super-boosted price simply click on the odds in the below bet banner to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.

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As the hard-copy calendars have their pages flipped over to October, the stark reality that the number of Group 1 races remaining in this Flat season are dwindling is impossible to escape. Stop cheering down the back and sober up, all you National Hunt junkies!

While we might not have many weeks of it left, the Group 1 action that we still have in front of us is tip top in nature and the most immediate one to tackle is the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket (2:40) on Saturday. And what a riddle it is!

Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes Pace Map

We'll start as always with the pace map as the run of the race is likely to be crucial to the outcome. Supporters of Inspiral will be looking for solid pace to help her settle, but I'm afraid they'll be getting no satisfaction from this pace map as there is no obvious leader to be found.

Darnation (2) seems best suited by racing prominently, though did make the running once earlier in her career. Elmalka (4) had her biggest day when winning the 1000 Guineas under a very patient ride but has raced prominently a couple of times including on her latest outing in the Nassau Stakes. Nashwa (3) has been ridden all sorts of ways during her illustrious career, including making the running on a couple of occasions, but it seems unlikely that her connections will want to ride her in such a manner on her return from a long absence and a more patient ride seems very likely. All told, there is every chance this race will be run at a below-par pace and get quite messy.

Who are the main contenders?

In terms of the contenders, where can anyone start on this race other than with the John & Thady Gosden-trained pair of Inspiral and Nashwa. With a remarkable nine Group 1 wins between them, they rank amongst the very best fillies that have raced in Europe in recent years. However, both of them are now five years of age and arrive to this race with questions of various sizes to answer as they bid for one more Group 1 to add to their tallies.

Inspiral has been the most remarkable filly. An unbeaten, Group 1-winning juvenile, she has been campaigned extremely gamely through her career, with eight of her last 10 starts having come in open Group 1 company against the boys. Those brave bids in the toughest of company yielded memorable wins in consecutive renewals of the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville. On the only two occasions she contested fillies-only Group 1s in that sequence she won on both occasions, winning last year's renewal of this race in dominant style and following up in memorable fashion in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

However, for all those great days, this season have been anything but great. A disappointing return to action in an odd renewal of the Lockinge Stakes was excusable, as was another below-par effort in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot. Returned to familiar territory to try and win the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville for the third time, she ran better to finish a well-held third to Charyn, but it was still well below her brilliant best.

Inspiral is now returned to fillies-only company in an effort to get her back on track in what is likely to be the final start of her wonderful career, but does she retain enough ability to capitalise on the drop in company?

To me, Inspiral just hasn't looked the same mare this season. John & Thady Gosden are sure to be trying everything with her to get her back sparking, but even at her very best, the prospect of a slowly-run, small-field race in which she is likely to held right up in given her slow-starting tendencies wouldn't be ideal. I just can't chance her at the price.

Nashwa presents a different sort of conundrum. While she doesn't have quite as extensive a CV as her illustrious stable mate, on her very best form it could be readily argued that Nashwa was just as talented as Inspiral. She too has taken on the boys at the very highest level and acquitted herself extremely well, finishing second to Mostahdaf in the Juddmonte International Stakes and a close third in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown last season.

The problem that Nashwa presents is that the only time we have seen her this season was in the Dubai Turf at Meydan in March. Having used plenty of petrol to get forward from a poor draw, she faded late and ran below form. That run was far from trouble in the circumstances, but that we haven't seen her since this is a significant concern. Her connections have clearly been giving her a squeeze to get her back on the track before the end of what is likely to be her final season on a racecourse and the question will be whether she'll be fit enough to win at this level on her return to action. How strong or indeed weak she is in the late betting is likely to be very informative.

Without the benefit of seeing how Nashwa moves in the market and the likelihood that the race won't be run to suit, I must pass over her at the prices.

Tamfana can land first Group 1 on Saturday

So, which one do I like? My inclination is to side with David Menuisier-trained Tamfana. The daughter of Soldier Hollow burst onto the international Group 1 scene when finishing a hugely eye-catching fourth in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in May and it was understandable that her connections tried her at longer trips in the Prix de Diane and against the boys in the Grand Prix de Paris.

She ran well on both occasions, but her connections had seen enough to decide to drop her back in trip to a mile for the Atalanta Stakes at Sandown on her latest start. While it was also a clear drop in class, the manner in which Tamfana won suggested that a mile might well prove to be her very best trip. She ran very well in the Prix de Diane when racing prominently and a repeat of those tactics in what could be a messy race might well show her to very good effect. She is my selection.

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