ENABLE MAGNIFICENT IN THE ECLIPSE STAKES, GR.1

When a horse is ready to call it a day they will send out signals that the time has come. For those that felt that Enable was at the age when she should be enjoying the leisure of a second career in the paddocks at stud, she proved that she has lost none of the sparkle when returning triumphant in the Eclipse Stakes, Gr.1 at Sandown Park beating another top-class filly in Magical.

In so doing, Juddmonte’s homebred champion emulated her own sire Nathaniel, who won the 2012 Gr.1 Eclipse Stakes on his seasonal debut for Enable’s trainer John Gosden. Enable and Magical last met in the Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Turf 246 days ago and, while Enable had not been seen on the racecourse since that historic victory, Magical has added another three Group successes to her CV this season, culminating in the Gr.1 Tattersalls Gold Cup in May, and also finished runner-up in the Gr.1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

In this race run over 10f, Magical’s stablemate Hunting Horn (Camelot) went straight to the lead, with Enable and Magical duelling through the early stages for second place. Within a furlong, Enable had gained the upper hand under Frankie Dettori and Ryan Moore took Magical back slightly into third, while Telecaster (New Approach) sat fourth and Zabeel Prince (Lope De Vega) settled in fifth. Turning into the home straight, Enable was poised just off Hunting Horn and cruised to the front at the two-furlong marker. Magical quickened well but Enable always had the upper hand and was asked to stride on again with a furlong to go. She crossed the line three quarters of a length ahead of Magical, with Regal Reality staying on well to take third, two lengths behind the runner-up, to complete a 1-2-3 for owner-breeders. The outsider Danceteria (Redoute’s Choice) stayed on well to snatch fourth place from the Gr.1 Lockinge Stakes winner Mustashry (Tamayauz).

Speaking after the race, Gosden commented: “She took her time coming back this season and it’s only been in the last two weeks when she got back on her favourite gallop that she clicked into mode. I said last weekend that I could not be happier with her and we came here today at 85-90 per cent. When you haven’t run for eight months I am not going to crank her at home and force her to racing fitness, but she has been showing the old spark and flame over the last couple of weeks. She is a great racemare and we all feel responsibility for her, everybody. She is one of those very proud athletes and she tells you what she wants; you wouldn’t boss her around. It is deeply fulfilling; you have a great sense of relief and then joy later on, but we are incredibly lucky to have a filly like this, it is a great honour.” Dettori added: “She’s still the best. What she has achieved is unbelievable, I don’t think we’ve seen one like her.”

Enable is the best foal produced by Concentric (Sadler’s Wells), also dam of the Gr.2-placed Contribution (Champs Elysees) and this season’s Gr.3 Musidora Stakes runner-up Entitle (Dansili).