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Brilliant six-year-old mare gets back in the winning groove
Champion mare Enable (6 m Nathaniel - Concentric by Sadler’s Wells) looked back to her brilliant best when she landed a historic third victory in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 1m4f) at Ascot on Saturday - her 11th top-flight win.
As expected William Buick on last year’s Irish Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) winner Sovereign (Galileo) set the pace, with the John Gosden-trained Enable racing in second and Sovereign’s Aidan O’Brien-trained stablemate Japan (Galileo) third.
As the three runners turned for home, Frankie Dettori - who sat motionless - produced Enable for her effort and she glided past Sovereign to score an easy five and a half victory, while dual Group 1 winner Japan was another 11 lengths away in third.
The daughter of Nathaniel (Galileo) - whose 11 elite level wins include two victories in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m), but she was denied a third win in the Paris showpiece last season when run down by Waldgeist (Galileo) in the closing stages. After being kept in training as a six-year-old, Enable made her seasonal debut this season when running second to an in-form Ghaiyyath (Dubawi) in the Coral-Eclipse (Gr 1, 1m2f) at Sandown.
"She's unbelievable," said Dettori, who was celebrating his seventh win in the famous Group 1.
"John [Gosden] has done an unbelievable job to keep her going. Three King George's has never been done before, and now we'll try the impossible and go for three Arcs.
"It's not surprising to see how good she is. I love her so much. My favourite girl!"
Enable is one of six winners out of Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer) mare Concentric, making her a half-sister to her stablemate Portrush (Frankel) - who broke her maiden earlier in the month, while she also counts Group 3-placed pair Contribution (Champs Elysees) and Entitle (Dansili) among her half-siblings.
The six-year-old’s second dam is Group 3 winner Apogee (Shirley Heights) - the dam of Prix Thomas Bryon (Gr 3, 1400m) winner Apsis (Barathea), Group 2 winner Dance Routine (Sadler’s Wells), who in turn is the dam of multiple Group 1 winner Flintshire (Dansili) and Listed scorer Dance Moves (Dansili).
Dance Routine is also the grandam of Grade 2 winner Projected (Showcasing) and Group 2 winner Headman (Kingman).
Apogee herself is also the dam of Listed winner Space Quest (Rainbow Quest) - the dam of Kocab (Unfuwain), who landed the Prix Matchem (Listed, 1800m).
Gosden was vehement in his praise for Enable, who looks bang on target to attempt to regain her Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe title in Paris this Autumn.
"She's really trained beautifully for this race and is back in top order, there's no doubt about that,” said Gosden. “We've been thrilled with her at home. I was expecting to see that but life can be full of disappointment.
"I remember great horses like Swain and Dahlia, those who won it twice, so to come back from injury and win it three times and do it as a three, five and six-year-old, she's some race mare."
Enable is one of three Group 1 winners for the Newsells Park Stud-based sire Nathaniel and he stood at Newsells Park for a fee of £25,000 in 2020.
Enable becomes the first horse to win three King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes@frankiedettori goes level with Lester Piggott with seven wins in the race
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) July 25, 2020
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