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Enable returns with stylish win under Frankie Dettori in Coral-Eclipse
Enable claimed an eighth Group One success and a first at ten furlongs by landing the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.
Frankie Dettori tracked the trailblazing Hunting Horn throughout the contest and his partner was still on the bridle two furlongs out.
She quickened to the front and had the reserves up the hill to hold off old rival Magical by three-quarters of a length.
It was two lengths back to Regal Reality in third.
👑🏇 Enable triumphs at Sandown under Frankie Dettori to add the Coral-Eclipse to her glittering CV!
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) July 6, 2019
🏆 Coral-Eclipse ('19)
🏆 Breeders Cup Turf ('18)
🏆 2x Arc ('17, '18)
🏆 Yorkshire Oaks ('17)
🏆 King George VI ('17)
🏆 Irish Oaks ('17)
🏆 Oaks ('17) pic.twitter.com/UbmxTV1L30
"It's been a long preparation and she's only started coming to herself in the last two weeks. Quite frankly she's come here at 85%, maybe 90, and in the last furlong I was concerned," winning trainer John Gosden told ITV Racing.
"I told Frankie 'if she gets tired, you look after her' this is not a prep, it's an Eclipse, but a prep for the rest of the year.
"I couldn't be more pleased with her. She got a lovely ride and Frankie always wanted to be where he was. She's an exceptional athlete.
"Like her father (Nathaniel), to come from an eight month lay-off to win an Eclipse is not an easy thing and she's done it all herself. The King George is the plan."
She is now even-money with Sky Bet for the Ascot showpiece, a race she won last year.
Head of Sports PR Michael Shinners said: "It was great to see Enable return in style at Sandown and now she heads for a fascinating clash with the Derby winners Anthony Van Dyck and Sovereign. You sense the colts will have to raise their game to beat her there."
🙌 Truly amazing.
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) July 6, 2019
🏆🏇 On her first outing of 2019, Enable wins her 10th race in a row, her eighth Group One and her first Coral-Eclipse!
👑 This is why she's the Queen of the track...pic.twitter.com/ZCdQCUWkLt
Gosden added: "She has been training well at home - I don't normally say things like I couldn't be happier with her, like I said at Saint-Cloud last week. She is better over a mile and a half. This time Hunting Horn was a friend to her and set a nice even pace. We just sat there and Frankie, when he pressed the button one and a half out, put the race to bed.
"There was a magnificent mare in second and they say a filly hasn't won this since Kooyonga, well you had a one-two there and that tells you a lot about Magical as well as her. They meet again and I'm sure they will meet again in the King George.
"She is a filly that we can hopefully get to the King George, York (Juddmonte International) and Longchamp (Arc). It has always been the plan, those four races, so this has been a good start."
A jubilant Dettori, who was once again in flying dismount form, said: "Drawn eight I had the best spot and I didn't have to panic and it went exactly how I thought it would.
"She is uncomplicated, as you know. It was actually funny - as we turned for home she grabbed the bit and wanted to go, but I said, 'wait a little bit, let's just get to the two (furlong pole) first'.
"She quickened and put the race to bed. She was entitled to get a little bit tired near the end. What a great filly. All of us put so much work into it and she has slowly come these last 10 days. She has been flying up the gallops.
"In the back of our mind we were very confident, but the race will bring her on. I'm as ecstatic as I was when I won my first race on her. She is a superstar and she is unbelievable now with the Eclipse on top.
"I think I was the last one off the bridle and she has so many gears and has got that unbelievable will to win. She has got size and scope, and she's got the stride.
"You wouldn't get this reception in a football game. I can't hear myself talk at the moment. It's amazing. She's special and she touches me. When she comes racing the lights come on. I love her so much. She's the queen of racing."
O'Brien was magnanimous in defeat and said of Magical: "She ran a great race. We might give her a little rest now.
"We wanted to give her a rest after Ascot, but she came out of Ascot very well and we just decided to let her take her chance here. We'll bring her back for the autumn. Enable is a great filly, beautifully trained, beautifully bred, beautifully ridden. It's a privilege to be here to see her."