Dettori rides ‘magnifique’ Enable to record Arc win
Cloth of Stars 2nd, Ulysses 3rd
only front-line spinner, did not take a wicket and conceded 247 runs in 67 overs during the match — the third-highest number of runs conceded by a bowler without taking a wicket in a Test match, a list headed by South Africa’s Imran Tahir, who leaked 260 runs against Australia in 2012. PARIS, Oct 1, (AFP): Frankie Dettori won a record fifth Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe as 10-11 favourite Enable stormed to victory at Chantilly on Sunday.
The three-year-old John Gosdentrained filly Enable got off to a fast start and was perfectly placed when Dettori unleashed her in the home straight to easily beat Cloth of Stars (25-1) into second by two and a half lengths, with Michael Stout’s Ulysses (9-1) third.
“She was ‘magnifique’,” Italian Dettori said. “A truly tremendous finish.
“I had position ‘A’, I knew I had no weight and she stays, so I kicked and she gave me four lengths and the race was over. I love her and John is a genius.”
It was also a fifth Arc win for Enable owner Prince Khalid Abdullah, into whose arms Dettori leapt with his trademark dismount back in the paddock.
Trainer Gosden said that Dettori had done brilliantly to get Enable, who has only been racing for ten months, into a winning position.
“It was a very clever ride by Frankie,” said Gosden.
“Coming round the corner he manoeuvered her onto the outside and with that one manoeuver, and not get pinned to the rails, he was able to offer her a position from where she could win.”
Idaho and Order Of St George led the way coming into the straight in a packed field of 18 runners, five of whom were mounts of the master Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien.
The first England or Ireland-trained three-year-old filly to win the race, Enable produced a spectacular burst of speed once around the final turn, cruising five lengths clear before easing off at the line.
“She was in the zone,” Gosden said. “She loves it.”
Cloth Of Stars ran an exceptional race in second for Andre Fabre, whilst Ulysses travelled well having tracked Enable from a good position under jockey Jim Crowley.
Ulysses trainer Stout was graceful in defeat.
“There are no excuses regarding the ground as it rode well. I don’t think he’s had too hard a race and, if that’s the case, we will take him to the Breeders’ Cup again,” he said.