5-STAR FRANKIE
Dettori smashes Arc win record on super filly Enable
Frankie Dettori labelled enable ‘the best filly i have ever ridden’, after she made the italian the most successful jockey in the 97-year history of the Prix de L’arc de triomphe.
it was Dettori’s fifth win on his 29th ride in europe’s most prestigious all-age middle-distance contest. it was also the 46-yearold’s second win in three years for trainer John Gosden.
Dettori and odds-on favourite enable’s two-and-a-half-lengths over runner-up Cloth of Stars was not the biggest arc margin of victory for the jockey, but he has never had an easier success in what should be one of the hardest races in the world to win.
the chances of Dettori adding to his winning tally look bright, with trainer John Gosden saying there is a chance that the filly, owned by Prince khaled abdullah, will stay in training in 2018 to try to win a second arc when the €5million race returns to its traditional Longchamp home.
So comprehensive was enable’s victory that Dettori said he’d had time to think about what was happening to him and his mount, rather than simply act on instinct.
it left him emotional. While he milked the crowd for all its worth on his return to the winner’s enclosure — yes, of course there was a flying dismount — Dettori’s reaction as he crossed the line was a little shake of the head to notify the disbelief he felt. ‘that was too easy,’ he said. ‘too perfect and so unbelievable. i was thinking, was this real or was i dreaming?
‘Usually in an arc, something happens but it was so smooth and effortless i was shocked. enable deserves all the credit. She is the best filly i have ever ridden.
‘When i got around the home bend i couldn’t hold her. i thought, “i can’t wait till four out, i will have to let her go’’.’
Dettori recalled how, in enable’s previous race, at York at the end of august, he’d feared she had made her run for home too soon.
‘So i thought i would count to 10 and wait. But she just flew. She has that burst of three or four lengths and then sustains it.’
Gosden had feared that the 18runner line-up around Chantilly’s tight circuit made a bad luck story possible but, ultimately, everything went like clockwork.
Dettori said he would have been happy to make the running if the pace had been too slow.
after making a smart break from stall no 2, however, enable slotted in behind aidan o’Brien’s pace-setter idaho and order of St George.
‘i went to make the running and saw idaho was running free so let him slot in and then saw order of George on my quarter and i managed to drag enable back,’ said Dettori. ‘it was exactly where i wanted her.’
enable was adding the arc to four other Group one wins this season in the english, irish and Yorkshire oaks and the king George at ascot. Her achievements are worthy of her now being named alongside some of the great fillies and mares like previous arc winners allez France, treve and Zarkava.
She also continued an amazing run in the race for her gender. Since Danedream won in 2011, only Golden Horn has succeeded for the males of the species.
Gosden said: ‘She’s very special. it would be wrong to run her again this year but if she’s in great form we should consider next year. She has only raced for 10 months of her life.
‘that would be exciting, to try to win the arc on two different tracks.’
Sir Michael Stoute’s Ulysses was third and will now head to the Breeders’ Cup in California next month, while o’Brien could run fourth-placed order of St George in the Long Distance Cup at ascot on october 21.