Easy For Enable In the Eclipse

Never out of her comfort zone during Saturday's G1 Coral-Eclipse, Khalid Abdullah's Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) who was later described as “85-90%” by trainer John Gosden put all doubts about the 10-furlong trip aside with what amounted to a relative cruise around Sandown on her comeback run. Never in any kind of trouble at any point of the contest, the remarkable umpteenth public champion to brandish these renowned pink and green silks was handed an ideal lead by Ballydoyle's Hunting Horn (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) for as long as Frankie Dettori could keep her under restraint. With Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) labouring in behind, the dual Arc heroine was cajoled to the head of affairs before two out and under a hand ride kept drawing the sting from her old rival with a degree of comfort that was surprising even allowing for her past achievements. At the line, it was to Magical's credit that she got to within 3/4 of a length of the winner, who had been the subject of a significant gamble into 4-6 before the off. Regal Reality (GB) (Intello {Ger}) was two lengths away in third. “It has been a long preparation and she'd only started to come in the last two weeks,” Gosden said. “I told Frankie that if she got tired to look after her, so I couldn't be more thrilled with her. She's an exceptional athlete.”

It may be that Enable was not at her best in her three starts last season, but she still managed to pull off a rare double in the French autumn showcase, win a Breeders' Cup Turf and beat Crystal Ocean (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in the G3 September S. There is a feeling that she has more to give on this evidence, as at no stage last summer was she giving the signals that she was capable of a performance of this ilk. A perfect storm converged here, with Frankie Dettori arriving in Esher on the back of a vintage Royal Ascot and a G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud success for good measure and Enable blossoming after a dousing of recent summer rain.

Regal Reality was up to the same tricks as he had been before the G3 Brigadier Gerard S., planting himself on the Rhododendron Walk and having to be taken a mile and a quarter down to the start to avoid going past the racecourse stables. Enable was unperturbed at the start as the consummate professional she has always been and after the first 100 yards the race's tapestry had already been sewn as Enable and Magical followed a pacemaker who had the ability to win a G3 Hampton Court S. and place in a GI Belmont Derby last year. Enable treated this like a strong piece of work on the Newmarket Heath as she emulated her sire who had also taken it on his seasonal bow for the same stable in 2012.

Ending a 27-year drought for her sex in this race, Enable was perhaps ushering in a new era for them as a result of her dynamic display. “It's been a long time since Kooyonga won for the fillies and with two fantastic mares being one-two here it's put that one to rest,” Gosden said. “We had never intended to go early with her and we talked about Ascot but we had some rain two weeks ago and she clicked into mode at home. As I said at Saint-Cloud last week, we could not have been happier with her and I judged it at about 85-90%, as you don't run in the Eclipse too short of work. The step back up to a mile and a half for the [July 27 G1] King George will probably suit her as well and as she races she'll tighten and harden like any great athlete in competition. She is a filly that we can hopefully get to the King George, York [for the Aug. 21 G1 Juddmonte International] and Longchamp [for the Oct. 6 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe]. It has always been the plan, those four races, so this has been a good start. She had been doing beautiful bridle work at home, as we couldn't crank her up after eight months off.”

Training Enable comes with some gravity now and Gosden was aware of that as he added, “We all feel responsibility with one like her. We don't bother her too much, but we are watching her the whole time. She is one of those proud athletes who tells you what she wants and you listen, you don't boss her around. She knows when its time for racing and gets mentally into the zone. This is deeply fulfilling, a sense of relief initially and then joy later on, and we are incredibly lucky to train a filly like this. It's a great honour.”

Aidan O'Brien paid tribute to Magical, who never buckled in the vain pursuit and was staying on strongly on the uphill climb to the line. “We're delighted–she ran a great race,” he said. “We might give her a little rest, as we decided to let her take her chance here after she came out of Ascot well. She ran her race and it's possible we'll bring her back for the autumn. The winner is a great filly who is beautifully-bred, trained and ridden and it's a privilege to be here to see her.”

Enable's family has another potential star in the firmament in the recent G2 Prix Eugene Adam winner Headman (GB) (Kingman {GB}), which adds weight to a dynasty already renowned for its potency courtesy of the exploits of Flintshire (GB) (Dansili {GB}). Headman is a grandson of the G2 Prix de Royallieu winner and G1 Prix de Diane runner-up Dance Routine (GB) (Sadler's Wells), a full-sister to Enable's listed-winning and group-placed dam Concentric (GB). Also the dam of the G2 Prix de Pomone runner-up Contribution (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) and this year's G3 Musidora S. runner-up Entitle (GB) (Dansili {GB}), Concentric also has the unraced 2-year-old filly Portrush (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a yearling colt by Sea the Stars (Ire) and a 2019 full-brother to Enable.

Saturday, Sandown, Britain
CORAL-ECLIPSE-G1, £750,000, Sandown, 7-6, 3yo/up, 9f 209yT, 2:04.77, g/f.
1–ENABLE (GB), 130, m, 5, by Nathaniel (Ire)
1st Dam: Concentric (GB) (SW & GSP-Fr, $117,776), by Sadler's Wells
2nd Dam: Apogee (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)
3rd Dam: Bourbon Girl, by Ile de Bourbon
O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-John Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £425,325. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-Eur at 11-14f, Hwt. Older Mare-Eur at 11-14f, MG1SW-Fr, G1SW-Ire & GISW-US, 12-11-0-1, $11,240,265. *1/2 to Contribution (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}), MGSP-Fr; and Entitle (GB) (Dansili {GB}), GSP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Magical (Ire), 130, f, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Halfway to Heaven (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £161,250.
3–Regal Reality (GB), 133, c, 4, Intello (Ger)–Regal Realm (GB), by Medicean (GB). O/B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute. £80,700.
Margins: 3/4, 2, 2HF. Odds: 0.65, 2.75, 8.50.
Also Ran: Danceteria (Fr), Mustashry (GB), Hunting Horn (Ire), Telecaster (GB), Zabeel Prince (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.