Enable’s future is down to owner, says Gosden
NO decision will be made just yet over whether Enable has run for the final time in her exalted career, following her sixthplaced finish in Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
John Gosden’s brilliant mare found the very testing conditions in ParisLongchamp against her, as Sottsass provided master French trainer Jean-Claude Rouget with his first win in Europe’s premier race.
Gosden felt the slow pace dictated by Persian King also worked against his runners, with Stradivarius coming in right on Enable’s tail, and he put that down to the absence of Aidan O’Brien’s contenders, who were dramatically ruled out on Saturday evening due to problems related to contaminated feed.
“If we’d had both Sovereign and Serpentine in there it would have been a very different race, but as it was it didn’t work out for Enable or Stradivarius,” said Gosden.
“Frankie (Dettori) said neither horse liked the holding ground, it would have been better if it was wetter. I did warn people, though.
“They didn’t have a hard race as it was only a little dash. They weren’t blowing, so it was a rather elaborate journey for a racecourse gallop.”
While Enable’s future remains up in the air, Gosden did confirm that triple Gold Cup winner Stradivarius will stay in training.
He revealed: “I think Mr (Bjorn) Nielsen is keen for Stradivarius to attempt a fourth Gold Cup.
“With Enable, Teddy (Grimthorpe, racing manager) and I will report to Prince Khalid (Abdullah, owner) and he will make the decision whether she has one more race or retires. It will be entirely his decision.
“We know she has a great turn of foot. It was unfortunate she was the meat in a sandwich at one point and once you break your stride in that ground it is difficult to get going.
“To that extent, Frankie never touched her with the stick, same with Olivier (Peslier on Stradivarius), the horses weren’t handling the ground so the jockeys looked after them. Both are extremely bright after the race which is good news because you always worry in that ground they might pull something.
“She’s been amazingly consistent. She won her maiden, got boxed in when we ran her in a conditions race which we won with another filly, but after that she won everything apart from last year’s Arc and this year’s Eclipse. Her attitude and mental strength set her apart, she’s so determined, positive about her training.
“It was Prince Khalid’s decision to try again this year and whether she runs again will be his decision.”