Review Of Prix De L’arc De Triomphe: Enable And Frankie Dettori Claim Back-to-back Arc’s
By Harry DeCosemo, Sports Reporter
October 08, 2018
A low draw has nearly always proved significant in the outcome of the Qatar Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe but never more so than in the 2018 renewal where John Gosden’s reigning champion Enable ( drawn 6 ) just held on from the fast-finishing Sea Of Class who attempted to pass the entire field in the home straight after being handed the number 15 berth in Europe’s great race.
Sent off the 10-11 favourite on the Paris-Mutuel last year’s impressive winner went into the race with a far from perfect preparation, a convincing victory on Kempton’s all-weather surface last month, the only time the daughter of Nathaniel had seen a racecourse this season. Frankie Dettori’s mount was attempting to make it eight from eight in the 1m 4f Group 1 contest, thereby joining a list of seven horses that includes the likes of Ribot, Alleged and Treve as dual winners of the race first run in 1920, with Waldgeist and Sea Of Class the chief dangers according to the betting.
Andre Fabre, responsible for three of the 19 runners, had expressed the belief that Waldgeist was his best chance of adding to a record seven wins in the race while Sea Of Class from the William Haggas camp, who had taken both the Irish and Yorkshire Oaks, had been clear ante-post second favourite behind Enable until the Sea The Stars filly had been handed a double-figure draw, something which was set to prove absolutely crucial.
Whereas Dettori took advantage of his low berth, obtaining a handy position from the word go, James Doyle found himself right at the back of the field aboard the three-year-old filly before the runners came into the straight. And just when Enable looked about to record another comfortable win after hitting the front a furlong and a half out Doyle and his mount came with a storming run on the outside, failing by only a short neck to give trainer and jockey their first Arc with last year’s runner-up Cloth of Stars back in third and Waldgeist, who met trouble in running, a gallant fourth.
With just two runs this season Enable may now head to the US and Churchill Downs for the Breeders’ Cup Turf for which William Hill and Betfred make her a best price 4-5.
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