Series stars on tour: Enable seeks place in history

Enable and Dettori triumph in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Picture: Racingfotos.com

Frankie Dettori believes “records are there to be broken” as Enable gears up for the Breeders‘ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs on Saturday night.

The four-year-old will be trying to defy the weight of history in becoming the first Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner to follow up at the feature American meeting.

Enable scooped three QIPCO British Champions Series races during a glorious campaign in 2017 – the Investec Oaks, QIPCO-sponsored King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Darley Yorkshire Oaks – but has had a limited campaign following an early-season setback.

But she roared back to her best with a second win in the European middle-distance championship at the start of October.

The Italian thinks that shortened season can play in favour of the John Gosden-trained filly, as she looks to succeed where such as Dancing Brave and others have failed, including the Dettori-ridden Golden Horn.

“I’m aware of the fact that no horse has won an Arc and a Breeders’ Cup Turf, but records are there to be broken,” Dettori said.

“In favour of Enable, she has only raced twice, is very fresh in herself and seems to have travelled over well, and she’s shown her versatility winning around Chester and Epsom and also a King George in soft ground.

“You never can be completely certain that everything is spot on, but you certainly wouldn’t suspect it (anything wrong) with this filly.”

Gosden affirmed he was happy with the way Enable, who is a general 4/7 favourite, had travelled to Kentucky.

He said: “Enable has settled in well. She is hydrated, and is both eating and drinking well. To be honest, I would prefer to be here off her campaign of last year, when she was on the crest of a wave, but all the immediate signs are good.

“However, on Saturday she will be running a mile and a half round three turns, and that is a different ball game to the Arc. But we are happy as things stand.”

Dettori has two other rides on Saturday’s card and both have been placed in Champions Series this term.

Eziyra, third in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks, runs in the Filly & Mare Turf for Dermot Weld and he also partners Sir Michael Stoute’s Expert Eye, the Qatar Sussex Stakes runner-up, in the Mile.

Like Enable, Expert Eye runs in the colours of Khalid Abdullah and Dettori is upbeat about his chance after he finished third to Recoletos in the Prix du Moulin last time out.

He said: “I think Expert Eye has a very good chance in the Mile. He was a bit of a handful early in his career, but is different now. I won on him at York and he ran super in the Moulin.

“He’s drawn seven, in the middle on Saturday, which isn’t bad at all, but as everyone knows in the Mile you need to get all the breaks. You also need more of a seven-furlong horse than a miler, as the emphasis is on speed.”