Enable (horse)

Enable (foaled 12 February 2014) is a British Thoroughbred racehorse. As a three-year-old in 2017 she won the Cheshire Oaks, Epsom Oaks, Irish Oaks and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes

Background

Enable is a bay filly bred in England by her owner Khalid Abullah's Juddmonte Farms. She was sent into training with John Gosden at Newmarket, Suffolk.

Enable is from the first crop of foals sired by Nathaniel who won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2011 and the Eclipse Stakes in the following year. Her dam Concentric showed good form in France, winning a Listed race and finishing second in the Prix de Flore.^[2] She was also a half-sister to the dam of Flintshire.^[3]

Racing career

2016: two-year-old season

Enable made her only appearance as a two-year-old in a maiden race over one mile on the synthetic Tapeta track at Newcastle Racecourse on 28 November 2016 and started at odds of 7/2 in a field of nine fillies. Ridden by Robert Havlin, she was restrained towards the rear before taking the lead inside the final furlong and drawing away to win by three and three quarter lengths.^[4]

2017: three-year-old season

Enable began her second season in a minor stakes race over ten furlongs at Newbury Racecourse on 21 April when she was partnered by William Buick. Starting at odds of 5/1 she stayed on well in the closing stages to finish third behind her stabemate Shutter Speed and Raheen House.

Frankie Dettori took the ride when the filly was stepped up in class and distance to contest the Cheshire Oaks over eleven and a half furlongs at Chester Racecourse on 10 May and was made the 2/1 second choice in the seven-runner field behind the Aidan O'Brien-trained Alluringly. After racing in second place, Enable took the lead three furlongs out and went clear of her rivals before being eased down by Dettori to win by one and three quarter lengths.^[5]

On 2 June Enable was one of nine fillies to contest the 238th running of the Oaks Stakes over one an a half miles at Epsom Racecourse. The race was run in heavy rain after a thunder storm struck the course shortly before the start.^[6] The Irish filly Rhododendron, ridden by Ryan Moore, was made the 8/11 favourite with Enable second choice in the betting on 6/1 alongside the Godolphin challenger Sobetsu (winner of the Prix Saint-Alary). The other runners included Alluringly, Natavia (Fillies' Trial Stakes), Coronet (Zetland Stakes) and Horseplay (Pretty Polly Stakes). With Dettori again in the saddle, Enable raced in third place before going to the front two furlongs out with Rhododendron emerging as her only serious challenger. In the closing stages Enable drew right away from the favourite to win by five lengths with another six lengths back to Alluringly in third place.^[7] After the race Dettori commented "When I saw Ryan wasn’t moving alongside me, I thought I was in trouble, but once I saw his distress signals coming I knew my filly would stay right to the end. She’s only run three times, she’s very good. She’s still a bit of a frame but I think she’ll get better and better."^[8]

Enable made her next appearance in the Irish Oaks at the Curragh on 15 July. She was partnered by Dettori who had just returned to riding after sustaining an arm injury at Yarmouth on 13 June.^[9] She was made the 2/5 favourite ahead of her stablemate Coronet, whilst the other eight runners included Rain Goddess (runner-up in the Pretty Polly Stakes), Alluringly, Intricately (Moyglare Stud Stakes) and Eziyra (C L Weld Park Stakes). After tracking the leader Rain Goddess, Enable went to the front two furlogs out, accelerated away from her rivals and won "easily" by five and a half lengths.^[10]

Pedigree

References

External links

• Career 1-2-3 Colour Chart – Enable