Breeders’ Cup Turf Heroine Enable Set for Yorkshire Oaks Ahead of Arc Hat-Trick Bid

Posted on by American Racehorse

Breeders’ Cup Turf winner, Enable, will warm-up for a third tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and a possible defense of her American crown by running in the Yorkshire Oaks again.

Trainer, John Gosden, already had a strong hand in the Ebor Festival’s feature contest for fillies and mares. The fact that Enable, who carries the green, pink and white silks of Prince Khalid Abdullah, returns to the Knavesmire racetrack in York and races against her own sex means she’s a long odds-on favorite.

Enable missed most of last season, but returned in Group 3 on the all-weather at Kempton Park before repeating in the Arc. No horse has ever won France’s most famous race three times in its storied 99-year history.

The five-year-old daughter of Nathaniel emulated her sire with wins in Group 1 in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park on reappearance when down in trip by a quarter-mile from the Breeders’ Cup. Enable then followed-up by regaining the King George at Ascot, holding old rival Crystal Ocean by a neck.

She had options at the Ebor Festival. Prince Khalid’s breeding operation sponsors the Juddmonte International, which is held on the opening day of the four-day meeting. Gosden was keen to avoid running Enable over a mile and a quarter again; however – the Arc itself is over a mile-and-a-half long.

British sportsbook bet365 has Enable at +100.00 to complete her hat-trick at Longchamp and +200.00 to again go on to the Breeders’ Cup in their horse racing betting on the Turf race.

Unlike other big international events, the Breeder’s Cup changes location every year. Last Fall, the event was hosted at Churchill Downs in Kentucky, and this year, Enable will have to defend her crown in southern California at Santa Anita.

“We’ve picked the Yorkshire Oaks because I wasn’t comfortable with bringing her back in trip”, Gosden explained when speaking with Racing Post. “Let’s play to her strengths and give her a nice run in the Yorkshire Oaks”.

Enable has enjoyed a glittering career in racing – her status as one of the modern great Flat thoroughbred mares is rarely contested. As a dual King George and Arc winner, she’s also unbeaten in four starts outside the UK.

The Yorkshire Oaks is more competitive than the betting suggests – Enable, as an older mare, must give 9lb away to three-year-old fillies.

As Enable is used to getting a 3lb allowance from colts and geldings in races like the Arc, Breeders’ Cup Turf, Eclipse and King George, she’s at a disadvantage. She obviously brings leading form claims into the Yorkshire Oaks, however, and remains the one to beat.

Most of the competition comes from within Gosden’s Newmarket stables. Lah Ti Dar was an impressive winner of a Listed race at last year’s Ebor Festival and only scored once since, while Anapurna has been kept fresh since following in Enable’s hoofprints and winning the Epsom Oaks.

Gosden’s grey mare, Coronet, has finished second in the last two runnings of the Yorkshire Oaks. He could run all four as they represent different owners, but Enable continues to set the standard all challengers aspire to.