Willing Enable digs deep to win epic for Dettori
WE knew she had speed, stamina and star quality but you can now add infinite reserves of courage after Enable landed a pulsating King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
The neck success of the John Gosden-trained mare from an equally brave rival in Crystal Ocean will live long in the memory of those that witnessed it and left her physically and emotionally drained.
Jockey Frankie Dettori described the tussle as ‘the hardest-fought Group One race I’ve ever ridden in’.
Gosden, winning his fourth King George, had warned that Enable’s attempt to join Dahlia and Swain as a dual King George winner was no penalty kick.
As well as Crystal Ocean, the world’s top-rated horse, the Khaled Abdullah-owned 8-15 favourite faced a line-up including Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck, 2017 Japan Cup winner Cheval Grand and three-time French-trained Group One race winner Waldgeist.
What we got was a contest that evoked memories of the legendary battle between Grundy and Bustino in 1975 that became known as the race of the century.
We are not quite a fifth into the 2000s but yesterday’s frenetic contest already must have a good chance of making the shortlist for the 21st century’s best Flat races.
A crowd of 28,406 cheered Enable back to the winner’s enclosure as well as giving the runner-up, two-length third Waldgeist and fourth-place Salouen receptions normally reserved for winners.
Dettori, 48, landing his sixth King George and said: ‘Enable showed what a will to win she has. I don’t want too many races like that because I’m absolutely exhausted. In all my career it is probably the hardest fought Group One I’ve ever had.
‘Crystal Ocean was like one of those flies that never goes away. They are two great champions. We had a titanic battle but I always had the edge.
‘Enable surprised me. She is an amazing horse in every way. I love her. She gives me emotions no horse have given to me in my life and she’s shown again she is still the best.’ Gosden, who said he had given Dettori a ticking off for hitting the front too soon, said: ‘Next time we might try to hold onto our petrol a little longer but there was a lot of guts in that performance.
‘So much is about mental strength in horses and she really showed it. So did Crystal Ocean and they outclassed the whole field.
‘It was what we wanted, the most amazing race. What more could racing want? It was two great athletes, a bit like the Wimbledon final (between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer) going 12-12 in the final set.’
Enable has now won 12 of her 13 races and more than £9million in prize money.
Dettori was presented with a tactical dilemma with Enable drawn widest of all in the 11-strong field, forcing him to race wide in the early stages. Out in front setting a frenetic pace was the Aidan O’Brien trio of Norway, Hunting Horn and Magic Wand — just like Bustino’s pacesetters had done in 1975.
If the O’Brien plan was to set up the race for his Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck, it was doomed to failure.
His jockey Ryan Moore was riding him along five furlongs out and he eventually finished 10th with only tailed-off stablemate Magic Wand 11 lengths behind him.
As Dettori shadowed Crystal Ocean, the final two furlongs turned into an Enable-Crystal Ocean stride-for-stride shoot-out.
For a moment just inside the final furlong it looked as if Enable may be giving way but ultimately she held on more decisively than seemed likely during those few faltering strides. James Doyle, Crystal Ocean’s jockey, said: ‘I have never experienced coming second in a race and almost getting as loud a cheer as the winner.
‘I thought we might be in business today but Enable joined me and dug into her reserves. My fellow left every inch of his heart on the track.’
An historic third Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe has been the aim all season for Enable.
Her odds for the race at Longchamp in Paris on October 6 were slightly eased, given another mouth-watering tussle with Crystal Ocean is on the cards.
Before then, the plan had been to give Enable her final race in Britain at York’s Ebor meeting next month, though Gosden will want to be sure she has recovered from her King George exertions.