Wonder Woman: Enable Strikes Again in Yorkshire Oaks
Juddmonte Farms filly earns fifth straight win in sublime fashion.
Juddmonte Farms’ superstar filly Enable shot straight to the lead in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks (G1) Aug. 24, made all the going and romped home first by five lengths to cement her status as favorite for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1).
Coronet was along in the final yards to take second from 2016 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) winner Queen’s Trust in the 1 1/2-mile race for fillies and mares 3 and older, giving trainer John Gosden a 1-2 finish. Nezwaahfinished fourth. Alluringly and Abingdon completed the order of finish.
The victory earns Enable a guaranteed, fees-paid spot in this year’s Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge program. Her immediate target, however, is the Arc at Chantilly Oct. 1. She was the hot favorite for that classic even before the Yorkshire triumph and if she runs at Del Mar, the 1 1/2-mile Longines Turf (G1T) also would be an option.
There was some question who would make the pace in the Yorkshire Oaks but jockey Frankie Dettori quickly answered that as he sent Enable out to a daylight lead in the early going. The Nathaniel filly led Queen’s Trust well into the straight and never was in danger at any point of the 1 1/2 miles, run over turf rated good to soft.
Enable scored her fifth straight victory. In her previous three runs she took the Investec Oaks (G1) at Epsom by five lengths, the Darley Irish Oaks (G1) at the Curragh by 5 1/2 lengths and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) over older males at Ascot by 4 1/2 lengths. On Thursday she defeated older females.
The runner-up in the King George was Ulysses, who returned from that race to win the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) on the first day of the Ebor Meeting at York by a convincing two lengths, defeating two of Europe’s best 3-year-old males, Churchill and Barney Roy.
On the strength of the King George performance, Enable soared to the top of the list in futures wagering for the Arc. That status was confirmed as some of her potential French rivals turned in disappointing performances in recent weeks. The Yorkshire Oaks only reinforced earlier impressions.
“She will go to the Arc,” said Gosden, who described Enable as the best filly he’s trained at the 1 1/2-mile distance.
In the co-featured Sky Bet Lowther Stakes (G2) for 2-year-old fillies, Threadingthreaded her way past the early speed in the final furlong to score by 1 3/4 lengths over Madeline. Mamba Noire was third. Wesley Ward trainee Happy Like a Fool made most of the going but the Distorted Humor filly ran out of gas and finished a fading sixth.
Threading, a Darley-bred daughter of Exceed And Excel, was having just her second run following a six-length victory in her maiden effort at Goodwood Aug. 2. Mark Johnston trains the filly for Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum. James Doyle rode.
The disappointment of the Lowther was the favorite, Actress, a Declaration of War filly racing in the Coolmore colors who chased Happy Like a Fool through the first few furlongs, then stopped, finishing last of nine, beaten nearly 20 lengths as jockey Ryan Moore did not persevere with her late. In her previous start, Actress was third in the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes (G1) at the Curragh.
fonte : Bloodhorse.com
‘Exceptional’ Enable makes all to pulverise rivals by five lengths
It would have been boring had it not been so impressive. Enable made all under Frankie Dettori as she landed a fourth successive Group 1 in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks by five lengths from stablemate Coronet.
Dettori had clearly made his mind up before the race as he quickly moved the King George winner to the front upon breaking from stall one. She led at a pace which left nothing to chance, neither muddling nor so strong as to stretch her as she moved easily across the Knavesmire.
If there was a moment of worry it was when Dettori drove Enable on a long way out, but nothing ever looked like landing a blow and Queen’s Trust, her main pursuer most of the way, actually seemed to pay for her ambition, fading into third as Coronet plugged on.
Dettori, who recalled Enable’s King George win by punching the air as he crossed the line, confirmed what most viewers had seen when he said: “Today was just like a gallop. She’s a tool. But she’s got to win an Arc to be one of the best I’ve ever ridden. She’s got a favourite’s chance.”
‘She’s exceptional’
With the Oaks, Irish Oaks and King George already behind her by a combined winning distance of 15 lengths, Enable was merely cementing her position at the head of the betting for the Arc at Chantilly on October 1. She was clipped from 5-4 into evens by a few firms and went odds-on with many of those that had been quoting her at shorter.
Trainer John Gosden said: “She got a bit lonely but she’s proved she can do it from the front. She’ll go to the Arc. She’s the best filly I’ve ever trained over a mile and a half. She’s exceptional.”
In winning the Yorkshire Oaks, Enable avoided the fate that befell Gosden’s Taghrooda, who was turned over at 1-5 after winning the Oaks and King George in 2014.
Taghrooda went on to finish third in Treve’s second Arc. Clearly so far ahead of her contemporaries, Enable will soon find herself competing with historic fillies like Treve and Zarkava. But first she has to do it at Chantilly.
fonte : RacingPost
Jeudi à York : Enable plus forte que jamais !
Belle réunion ce jeudi à York (Angleterre) avec le nouveau succès d’Enable qui s’offre ce jeudi son 4e groupe 1 consécutif, une nouvelle fois avec la manière Une pouliche hors norme qui prend désormais officiellement la direction de Chantilly. Dans le reste de la réunion, Threading fait impression. Voici ce qu’il ne fallait pas rater !
fonte : Equidià
Yord, day 2: #Enable straripante nelle #Darley #Yorkshire #Oaks. Si tratta della 4° vittoria consecutiva in G1. Ora l’Arc
Poco più che un lavoro, una rifinitura. Enable (Nathaniel) ha vinto anche le Darley Yorkshire Oaks G1 e su questo non c’erano grossi dubbi, anche se il tracciato di York molto spesso ha regalato sorpresone. Ma era troppo buona la forma recente di una cavalla che dopo le Oaks inglesi ed irlandesi, si era regalata anche le King George G1 davanti all’Ulysses straripante delle Juddmonte International. E qui non c’era nessuno neanche paragonabile ad Ulysses, per esempio, a contrastarne la grandissima superiorità.
Enable ha vinto andando in avanti, giocando con i parziali a piacimento, portando a spasso la compagnia sempre ad orecchie dritte e poi quando è entrata nella lunga e piatta dirittura di York, ha aperto i polmoni, allargato il compasso ed andata in percussione, per testare che la forma sia quella giusta in ottica Arc de Triomphe. Il tempo alla fine dice qualcosa come 7 secondi sopra lo standard, significa che ha scherzato completamente senza andare in sofferenza e graduando a piacimento contro una compagnia che non era assolutamente alla sua altezza, ma neanche lontanamente…
Frankie ha collaudato il mezzo senza mai usare la frusta, del resto non serviva. Uno, due, tre, quattro e cinque le lunghezze dalla prima delle battute, la grigia Coronet (Dubawi), altra tre anni, e Queen’s Trust (Dansili), la prima a tentare l’inseguimento alla campionessa di Khaliud Abdullah. Nulla da fare, tutto vano. Come confermato da Lord Teddy Grimptorpe l’obiettivo è Chantilly con l’Arc de Triomphe in programma il primo Ottobre, dove arriverà direttamente senza nessuna corsa di mezzo.
Sono 4 adesso i G1 consecutivi per una cavalla diventata progressivamente una macchina da guerra, alla sesta vittoria in 7 uscite ed oltre £1 milione vinto al palo. Allevata da Juddmonte, è di proprietà di Khalid Abdullah ed allenata da John Gosden alla terza vittoria nelle Yorkshire Oaks dopo Dar Re Mi e The Fugue. Stesso numero per Dettori, dopo Only Royale nel 1993 e Blue Bunting nel 2011, e per Juddmonte dopo Quiff e Midday.
IL VIDEO DELLE YORKSHIRE OAKS QUI. IL RISULTATO COMPLETO QUI.
