Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Grade 1, Chantilly 15:05 €4,999,999 added, 3yo plus, 1m 4f, Class 1
Sunday 1st October 2017

1 Enable 10/11
2 Cloth Of Stars 25/1
3 Ulysses 9/1
18 ran Distances: 2½l, 1¼l, 1½l
Time: 2m 28.69s (fast by 0.31s)

Enable wins the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe!

Enable capped a memorable season with a scintillating display in which she always looked likely to win her fifth Group One of the season.

John Gosden's brilliant filly lined up as the hot favourite for Europe's premier middle-distance contest after four consecutive victories at the top-level in the Epsom Oaks, Irish Oaks, King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Yorkshire Oaks.

The three-year-old made a fast start from stall two and Frankie Dettori always had her well positioned in behind Aidan O'Brien's pair of Idaho and Order Of St George.

The popular Italian gave Enable her head racing inside the final two furlongs and she quickly stamped her class, quickening clear in stunning fashion to seal a dominant success.

Dettori was claiming his fifth win in the European middle-distance championship, making him the most successful jockey in the race's history, while Abdullah needs one more to join Marcel Boussac as the leading owner after wins for Rainbow Quest (1985), Dancing Brave (1986), Rail Link (2006) and Workforce (2010).

"It was a day to hugely enjoy and appreciate," said Teddy Grimthorpe, Abdullah's long-standing racing manager.

"It might have looked easy, but it was a masterful ride. If you can do such a thing, he won the race in the first two to three furlongs in getting a trouble-free position."

Recent history has been kind to Abdullah, but there is more to it than just good fortune as the owner-breeder has invested in building up his own bloodlines.

Abdullah's homebreds in recent years have included the unbeaten Frankel and 2014's leading miler Kingman, while Breeders' Cup and Dubai World Cup hero Arrogate proved a shrewd yearling purchase in America.

"We're very lucky, we truly appreciate it," said Grimthorpe.

"You have a horse like Frankel and think 'that's it, it's probably not going to get much better' but then along come the likes of Kingman, Arrogate and now Enable. It's just been an absolute privilege to be around them.

"For Prince Khalid to win a fifth Arc which was also Frankie's fifth and it was Enable's fifth Group One of the season - it was really the stuff of dreams.

"Of course at Newbury in April when she was beaten by another of ours, Shutter Speed, you aren't even dreaming of anything like this, but this is the great game of ours, it is why we are all involved in it."

While it would be easy to make a snap decision on her future on the back of such euphoria, the whole team will take their time before deciding whether Enable will return to training as a four-year-old.

"There's no decision on next year and there won't be for a while yet, I'd imagine," said Grimthorpe.

"Firstly we need to get her back to Newmarket, check her over and the like, and then we all need to have a chat about what is best for the filly."

If she does stay in training next year, Grimthorpe was not ruling out a drop back to 10 furlongs, adding: "She's certainly got a little bit of zip. She's very special."

Qatar Prix De L'Arc De Triomphe
€4,999,999 added, 3yo plus, 1m 4f, Class 1
18 ran
Going: Soft

Pos	Dr	D	Horse SP	Jockey Weight	Trainer	Age
1st	(2)		Enable 10/11f	L Dettori 8-9	J H M Gosden	3
2nd	(3)	2½	Cloth Of Stars (IRE) 25/1	M Barzalona 9-5	A Fabre	4
3rd	(1)	1¼	Ulysses (IRE) 9/1	Jim Crowley 9-5	Sir Michael Stoute	4
4th	(9)		Order Of St George (IRE) 8/1	D O'Brien 9-5	A P O'Brien	5
5th	(4)		Brametot (IRE) 20/1	C Demuro 8-12	J C Rouget	3
Also Ran: Zarak (FR) , Doha Dream (FR) , One Foot In Heaven (IRE) , Silverwave (FR) , Idaho (IRE) , Dschingis Secret (GER) , Satono Diamond (JPN) , Satono Noblesse (JPN) , Iquitos (GER) , Seventh Heaven (IRE) , Capri (IRE) , Plumatic , Winter (IRE)