Enable is set to have her final appearance on the track before the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in the September Stakes at Kempton next month. Connections opted against running their mare at the Ebor Festival at York where John Gosden’s runner has won the Yorkshire Oaks twice before.
Enable’s absence from the Ebor Festival means racing fans will have to wait a little longer to see the six-year-old take on the Epsom Oaks winner Love for the first time. That clash is likely to come at Longchamp in October.
This year will not be the first time that Enable has featured in the September Stakes in her final outing before the Arc. She was successful at Kempton in 2018 before her second victory in France, beating Crystal Ocean in the Group Three contest.
Enable has had two runs so far in 2020. She made her seasonal reappearance in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown where she had to settle for second place behind the impressive Ghaiyyath. The daughter of Nathaniel was not quite at her best for her season opener but ran on well for second place.
The 11-time Group One winner was much better on her second start of the year in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot Racecourse. Surprisingly, Enable only had two rivals for that Group One contest over 1m4f but it did include the very capable Aidan O’Brien runner, Japan. The mare prevailed in style, scoring by over five lengths at the Berkshire racecourse to get back on track for the campaign.
At the start of the season, the Arc would have been the main target for Enable. It is one of the major betting events in the horse racing calendar as SBO explains, with plenty of interest from abroad. Horse racing has a rich heritage and history in France, as it does in England, Ireland, Dubai, Australia and the USA. It is no surprise then that this race is dominated by representatives from those countries.
The Arc pits the best middle-distances runners against each other so it is an extremely exciting race for punters. Enable is likely to have more than her fair share of the support this year.
Enable May Get One Last Chance of Arc History
When she finished second at Longchamp last October behind Waldgeist, it looked like Enable’s chance of becoming the first horse to win the Arc three times had gone. Instead of retiring their superstar mare, connections took the brave decision to keep their horse in training. This gives them another opportunity to have a shot at the race.
Enable’s first victory in the Arc came in 2017 when she prevailed at Chantilly as Longchamp was being revamped. She hit the front with 2f to go under the hands of Frankie Dettori and never looked like being reeled in.
The mare was made to work much harder for her second win when she lined up at Longchamp for the first time in her career in 2018. One again she hit the front of the field at the 2f marker. On this occasion though, she had not beaten off all the challengers as Sea Of Class came home with a powerful run. Enable hung on by a short neck in a thrilling finish to the race.
If she is successful, Enable will be oldest winner of the Arc since 1932. She will not only need to beat this year’s Oaks conqueror, Love, but the likes of Ghaiyyath, Mishriff, Magical and Stradivarius are all expected to have a shot. It could be one of the strongest renewals of the last decade.
As ever, the Arc will be the feature race on the two-day meeting at Longchamp which is scheduled for the 3rd-4th October. It is likely to be the last time horse racing fans will see the mare on the track so it is an occasion not to be missed.
Feature image for illustration only.
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Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.