Enable (horse)

Spring

Enable began her second season in a minor stakes race over ten furlongs at Newbury Racecourse on 21 April when she was partnered by William Buick. Starting at odds of 5/1 she stayed on well in the closing stages to finish third behind her stabemate Shutter Speed and Raheen House. Frankie Dettori took the ride when the filly was stepped up in class and distance to contest the Cheshire Oaks over eleven and a half furlongs at Chester Racecourse on 10 May and was made the 2/1 second choice in the seven-runner field behind the Aidan O'Brien-trained Alluringly. After racing in second place, Enable took the lead three furlongs out and went clear of her rivals before being eased down by Dettori to win by one and three quarter lengths.^[5]

Summer

On 2 June Enable was one of nine fillies to contest the 238th running of the Oaks Stakes over one and a half miles at Epsom Racecourse. The race was run in heavy rain after a thunderstorm struck the course shortly before the start.^[6] The Irish filly Rhododendron, ridden by Ryan Moore, was made the 8/11 favourite with Enable second choice in the betting on 6/1 alongside the Godolphin challenger Sobetsu (winner of the Prix Saint-Alary). The other runners included Alluringly, Natavia (Fillies' Trial Stakes), Coronet (Zetland Stakes) and Horseplay (Pretty Polly Stakes). With Dettori again in the saddle, Enable raced in third place before going to the front two furlongs out with Rhododendron emerging as her only serious challenger. In the closing stages Enable drew right away from the favourite to win by five lengths with another six lengths back to Alluringly in third place.^[7] After the race Dettori commented "When I saw Ryan wasn’t moving alongside me, I thought I was in trouble, but once I saw his distress signals coming I knew my filly would stay right to the end. She’s only run three times, she’s very good. She’s still a bit of a frame but I think she’ll get better and better."^[8]

Enable made her next appearance in the Irish Oaks at the Curragh on 15 July. She was partnered by Dettori who had just returned to riding after sustaining an arm injury at Yarmouth on 13 June.^[9] She was made the 2/5 favourite ahead of her stablemate Coronet, whilst the other eight runners included Rain Goddess (runner-up in the Pretty Polly Stakes), Alluringly, Intricately (Moyglare Stud Stakes) and Eziyra (C L Weld Park Stakes). After tracking the leader Rain Goddess, Enable went to the front two furlongs out, accelerated away from her rivals and won "easily" by five and a half lengths.^[10] Dettori commented "Enable is a very special filly and it was so important to ride her - she is a true professional and I think she has improved since Epsom. She has a good turn of foot and put the race to bed".^[11]

Less than two weeks after her win at the Curragh, Enable, with Dettori again in the saddle, was matched against older horses and male opposition in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot Racecourse.^[12] She started the 5/4 favourite against nine opponents including Highland Reel, Jack Hobbs, Idaho, Ulysses and My Dream Boat. She raced in second place behind the pacemaker Maverick Wave before going to the front entering the straight. She accelerated several lengths clear of her rivals and never looked in any danger of defeat coming home four and a half lengths clear of Ulysses with Idaho in third place.^[13] After the race Dettori, who was riding at his minimum weight of 119 pounds said, "I haven’t had a feeling like that since Golden Horn in the Arc... She’s top-drawer and that’s three times she’s proved it, three times that she’s won by a wide margin. I didn’t want to see a sprint and I knew she stays, so I kicked for home early".^[14] John Gosden described the winner as being "as good a filly as I’ve ever trained... she just takes the race by the horns" before suggesting the Yorkshire Oaks and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe as future targets.^[15]

As Gosden had predicted, Enable made her next appearance in the Yorkshire Oaks at York Racecourse on 24 August. She went off the 1/4 favourite against five opponents including Queen's Trust (Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf), Nezwaah (Pretty Polly Stakes), Coronet and Alluringly. She took the lead from the start, drew away from the field in the straight and won "very readily" by five lengths from Coronet.^[16] Gosden commented "There was no obvious pace so I said to Frankie that he could do his own thing. She got lonely in the last part, she was looking around and idling. It’s not her favourite way of racing but she can do it that way. It was a lovely prep for the Arc, and it’s a nice run-in now. She’d be the best mile-and-a-half filly that I’ve trained".^[17]

Autumn

On 1 October at Chantilly Racecourse Enable, with Dettori in the saddle, started odds on favourite for Europe's most prestigious weight-for-age race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. As she had not been among the original entries her owner had to pay a supplementary fee of €120,000 to run her in the race.^[18] Ulysses and Idaho were again in opposition, whilst the other runners included Order of St George, Winter, Capri, Satono Diamond and Seventh Heaven. After racing in third place the filly took the lead in the straight, went clear of the field and stayed on to win by two and a half lengths from Cloth of Stars. Dettori commented "It was too perfect... It happened exactly like I thought and she won like I thought. Usually in an Arc something happens but it was so smooth, so effortless" while Gosden added "She’s really only had one very busy season so there’s a possibility she might stay in training next year and go to the new Longchamp. She’s truly exceptional, straight out of the top drawer".^[19]