Connections Plotting Where To Next For Enable After Darley Irish Oaks Victory
Enable was
reported to be fine following her brilliant victory in the Darley Irish Oaks as
connections start to think of her programme for the rest of the season.
The daughter of Nathaniel took the fillies' Classic by storm as she swept clear by five and a half lengths from her nearest pursuer Rain Goddess at the Curragh on Saturday, to supplement her success in the Investec Oaks at Epsom. The dual Oaks heroine's first possible target is the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on July 29, but that might come quite quickly. Should that race be too soon, the John Gosden-trained filly could head to York for the Darley Yorkshire Oaks on August 24.The Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Chantilly on October 1 could be the ultimate objective for Enable, although she does not currently hold an entry in Europe's premier middle-distance race and would have to be supplemented.
"She had a little nick on her leg after the race, but that's all it was. She's grand," said Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Khalid Abdullah. "It was a wonderful run and we were very thrilled with her. Those races are the very nice options that we have, but obviously we'll have to see how she is. The King George is less than two weeks away so it may come a bit too soon, but obviously we'll have to look at it. If she doesn't go there she'll probably go for the Yorkshire Oaks. We'll take it one step at a time. She's not in the Arc, she'd have to be supplemented."
It’s hardly my
place to tell Khalid Abdullah and Teddy Grimthorpe what they should do but to
my eyes she is the best middle distance three-year-old about and surely a tilt
at the Arc, in what is a wide-open looking race at this stage, should be considered. Almanzor is ante-post
jolly and rightly so on last years form, won the
French Derby, Irish and British Champion Stakes, but the colt has yet to race
this season after suffering from a virus in April. I would certainly
supplement her and keep my fingers crossed for a dry autumn.