Enable too good in King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes

Darryl Sherer - Sunday July 30

Enable rewarded a brutal diet regime for Frankie Dettori when beating the older horses in Saturday's Group I King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1m4f) at Ascot.

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Enable winning the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Photo: Longines

Dettori had shed seven pounds in six days to make the 8:07 (54kg) for the English and Irish Oaks winner and the heavily backed 5/4 favourite revelled in the softening conditions to score comfortably.

Enable was third approaching the home turn as stablemate Maverick Wave was setting the pace for Jack Hobbs.

Dettori released the handbrake into the home straight and Enable quickened clear, going on to defeat Ulysses (9/1) by 4 1/2-lengths with Idaho (8/1) a further three-quarters of a length away third.

Highland Reel was came under pressure three furlongs out and stayed on for fourth, beaten just under nine lengths while the Argentine visitor Sixties Song was never a factor in the conditions and finished last of the 10 runners.

"Those days of not eating have paid off - I could do with a good burger now," Dettori told Racing UK.

"She goes on any ground and now she has proved she can match up with older horses - she's very good."

Trainer John Gosden won this race in 2014 with another of his Epsom Oaks winners in Taghrooda but told the Sporting Life Enable was as good a filly he has trained.

"The facts show she can do it on any ground and Frankie was bold," Gosden said.

"She breaks well and is very business like. It wasn't the plan to be that close, but she was getting weight from the older horses.

"I thought Ulysses made a brave run at her and I thought Maverick Wave did a beautiful job pacemaking."

Enable emulated her sire Nathaniel, also trained by Gosden, in winning the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Gosden said will now attempt to win another Oaks.

"All in all she's as good a filly as I've ever trained - Taghrooda was brilliant to win this and she's following Dahlia and Pawneese," Gosden said.

"I've always planned the Yorkshire Oaks, then pause, stop and think - no trials and then possibly the one in Paris (Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe)."

Sportsbet make Enable the $3 favourite for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (2400m) on October 2.

You can watch the race below, Enable in the green jacket, pink cap and second early.

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