Champion mare Enable became just the eighth horse to claim Europe’s premier weight-for-age race twice when winning the Gr.1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) on Sunday in the hands of Frankie Dettori.
In front of Paris-Longchamp’s new €140 million grandstand the reigning champion emerged best in a finish for the Arc ages, holding off the younger filly Sea Of Class by a rapidly diminishing short-neck.
Enable suffered a knee injury in May and had an unorthodox preparation for the Arc, winning on the All Weather track at Kempton 29 days earlier.
“It’s been a nightmare getting her here and I promise you she was 85 percent,” winning trainer John Gosden said.
It was the sixth Arc victory for jockey Frankie Dettori in his 30th ride in the race.
“What a genius John Gosden is, to win an Arc with that interrupted preparation,” Dettori said.
“In the last 50m we were on our hands and knees. I was trying to squeeze everything we could out of her and we got there.”