Enable wins the Oaks
Enable wins the Oaks

John Gosden's Enable back in King George frame


John Gosden says a final decision on Enable's participation will be made on Wednesday as he assesses whether to let the dual Oaks winner take her chance in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

After taking in the Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh on July 15, where she disaplayed another electric performance, connections of the filly were leaning towards the Yorkshire Oaks at York's Ebor Festival for her next appearance.

However, that race isn't until August 24 and with her trainer happy with how she's come out of her Irish assignment a tilt at the King George this weekend is looking more likely again, for which she's 2/1 with Sky Bet.

Gosden told At The Races: "There was a big gap between the Oaks and the Irish Oaks so it’s not like she’s been over raced this season. 

"We’ll be making the decision on Wednesday morning with the declarations coming on Thursday."

A factor that won't alter Gosden's thinking is the ground after 18 millimetres of rain saw conditions turn 'Soft' at Ascot over the weekend.

"She goes on most ground," he said. "She’s won on 'Good to Firm' and 'Good', her father [Nathaniel] went in the soft and her broodmare sire Sadler’s Wells obviously handled that too, so, I think she will be alright.

"Nobody wants to see it go very soft, heavy, we don’t want to see that but some give in the ground shouldn’t bother her at all."

Gosden trained Taghrooda to win the King George in 2014 on the back of an Investec Oaks win at Epsom, although she bypassed the Irish equivalent.

"She [Taghrooda] went from the Oaks straight on through, but that year they were closer together [the Irish Oaks and the King George]. 

"There’s quite a gap now to the Yorkshire Oaks. We feel with her that two weeks will be enough as long as we’re happy with her, we’ll obviously do scopes, bloods, the normal routine.

"I have to make it clear that the matter has to be discussed and confirmed with the owner to see how they feel about it."

Click here for Sky Bet's latest betting on the King George

Enable isn't the only Gosden-trained horse in contention for the King George on Saturday as Jack Hobbs is also being targeted at the race following a below-par run in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot last time.

"We wanted to run him in the Prince Of Wales’s at Royal Ascot, but it turned out to be the hottest June day for 40 years and the ground was lightning fast, it was entirely the wrong thing for him.

"Obviously he has no problem with the mile and a quarter, he’s run brilliantly twice in autumn ground [over that trip], but the mile and a half around here with some cut in the ground is certainly right up his street."


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