Dettori rides ‘magnifique’ Enable to record Arc win

The three-year-old John Gosden-trained filly Enable got off to a fast start and was perfectly placed when Dettori unleashed her in the home straight to easily beat Cloth of Stars (25-1) into second by two and a half lengths, with Michael Stout’s Ulysses (9-1) third.

“She was ‘magnifique’,” Italian Dettori said. “A truly tremendous finish.

“I had position ‘A’, I knew I had no weight and she stays, so I kicked and she gave me four lengths and the race was over. I love her and John is a genius.”

It was also a fifth Arc win for Enable owner Prince Khalid Abdullah, into whose arms Dettori leapt with his trademark dismount back in the paddock.

Trainer Gosden said that Dettori had done brilliantly to get Enable, who has only been racing for ten months, into a winning position.

“It was a very clever ride by Frankie,” said Gosden.

“Coming round the corner he manoeuvered her onto the outside and with that one manoeuver, and not get pinned to the rails, he was able to offer her a position from where she could win.”

Idaho and Order Of St George led the way coming into the straight in a packed field of 18 runners, five of whom were mounts of the master Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien.

The first England or Ireland-trained three-year-old filly to win the race, Enable produced a spectacular burst of speed once around the final turn, cruising five lengths clear before easing off at the line.

“She was in the zone,” Gosden said. “She loves it.”

Cloth Of Stars ran an exceptional race in second for Andre Fabre, whilst Ulysses travelled well having tracked Enable from a good position under jockey Jim Crowley.

Ulysses trainer Stout was graceful in defeat.

“There are no excuses regarding the ground as it rode well. I don’t think he’s had too hard a race and, if that’s the case, we will take him to the Breeders’ Cup again,” he said.

“I had a lovely position throughout, tracking Enable. He picked up well for me when I asked him in the straight, but the winner was exceptional,” admitted Crowley.

Asked if Enable would continue, Gosden said trying to win at the Arc’s traditional home of Longchamp next year would be a mouthwatering prospect.

“It’s Prince Khalid’s decision, but look, she hasn’t raced a lot in that she first raced last November and it would be exciting to try and win the Arc on two different tracks (back at Longchamp) next year,” he said.

Enable took impressive top-level wins in the Epsom Oaks, the Irish Oaks, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, as well as the Yorkshire Oaks, before ending an astonishing season at Chantilly.

For Detorri it was a fifth win, 18 years after the his Arc love affair began with Lammtarra. Sakhee and Marienbard followed in 2001 and 2002, with Golden Horn supplying his fourth win in 2015.