Dettori wins Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for fifth time HORSE RACING
Frankie Dettori won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe to become the most successful jockey in the history of the race while Enable joined her rider on the roll of honour list by becoming the first British-trained filly to win the prize.
Dettori extended his streak of wins in the race to five, going past six others, to hold the record on his own after an impressive victory at the Chantilly Racecourse yesterday.
The result gave Enable, trained by John Gosden, her fifth successive Group 1 prize, following up on her successes in the Epsom Oaks, the Irish Oaks, the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Yorkshire Oaks.
Gosden told reporters she was “very special” and Dettori had her well positioned throughout the 2,400-metre race .
“She’s very special and has amazing ability,” he said. “She showed us at home she was in the zone. She was looking well, eating well, still had her summer coat. She enjoys her work. She gave us every sign she was ready to run a race like that.”
Gosden said he had no plans to run Enable again this season, including in the Breeders’ Cup in the United States.
However, he was looking ahead for her campaign as a four-year-old and is already eying her title defence of the Arc when the race returns to the revamped Longchamp racecourse next year.
“I think it would be wrong to run her again this year,” he said. “I think to go to the Breeders’ Cup would be wrong, too hard on the filly.
“If she’s in great form we should consider next year. Maybe it would be wonderful to go to the opening of the new Longchamp and try to do it again.
“She has only raced for ten months of her life, so there would be every reason to keep her in training next year, particularly with the new Longchamp opening.
“That would be exciting to try to win the Arc on two different tracks.”
Dettori added: “She’s uncomplicated and has a big heart. I was very confident.
“C’est magnifique. She’s a tremendous filly.”
Cloth Of Stars, the Godolphin horse trained in France by Andre Fabre and ridden by Mickael Barzalona, ran a strong race to finish two-and-a-half lengths behind the winner and ahead of Ulysses and Order Of St George.
Earlier, Godolphin’s Wild Illusion, trained by Charlie Appleby and with James Doyle atop, took the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac for two-yearold fillies from French hopes Polydream and Mission Impassible.
O’Brien saddled a double on either side of the main race to take his Group 1 tally to 22 and inching the Irishman ever closer to the record 25 winners in a season held by American trainer Bobby Frankel.
Happily, under Ryan Moore, produced a strong late run to take the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, and Seamie Heffernan rode Rhododendron to victory in the Prix de l’Opera.