Newmarket’s Henry Cecil Open Weekend could not take place in its traditional format this year, but a wide array of HQ trainers nonetheless participated in virtual format.
John Gosden was chief among them, and he gave an update on the town’s most popular equine resident, Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), as she gears up for an attempt at a third win in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 4.
“Enable is very happy and well,” Gosden said. “She has been fine since the race at Kempton [the Sept. 5 G3 September S). She enjoyed that outing. It’s a massive task [the Arc], a big mountain to climb again. If it had gone quite right last year, she obviously wouldn’t be trying to do it this year.
“It looks a fantastic race; Aidan O’Brien is fielding a wonderful filly in Love, who naturally being a 3-year-old gets all the weight, which Enable benefited from when she won as a 3-year-old, and there are some great older horses. It is very exciting–she is in great form to attempt the impossible. Frankie [Dettori] will hopefully be here next week to ride her in some work and help bring her up to the race.”
Enable will meet her illustrious staying stablemate Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) for the first time on a racecourse in the Arc. Stradivarius shortened up to 2400 metres when second in the G2 Prix Foy on Sept. 13.
“In the Prix Foy, Mickael Barzalona was riding [winner] Anthony Van Dyck and he went nice gentle fractions,” Gosden said. “In the French trials they do not like to overdo them, they come into the straight and then kick. I thought for a two-and-a-half-mile Ascot Gold Cup winner he showed great acceleration down the straight. The other horses behind never got to them. I thought both horses ran lovely races and he came up a neck short. I could not have been happier with him.”
Two of Gosden’s Group 1-winning 3-year-olds, Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Mishriff (GB) (Make Believe {GB}), have dates on British Champions Day, in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. and G1 Qipco Champion S. respectively.
“We are very much looking at the QEII with Palace Pier,” Gosden said. “We were very happy with the [G1] Jacques le Marois–we wanted that straight mile for him. They did have an excessive amount of rain, so it was very soft, but he handled it well. There is a strong possibility that he stays in training as a 4-year-old, in which case it will probably be his last run of the season as we are getting deep into October. I didn’t really want to be whizzing him off to Hong Kong or America at this stage, maybe we will do that sort of thing next year. Hopefully he runs a big race in the QEII, and we will be waiting to run him again as a 4-year-old.”
Of the G1 Prix du Jockey Club victor Mishriff, Gosden added, “We thought about the Arc. We looked at the pedigree and to me, he is not fully furnished and strengthened yet. He is still improving and the Arc at this stage of his career could do more harm than good. We decided we will stay at a mile and a quarter and he will be going to the Champion S. I’d expect him to put up a pretty big show.”
Gosden said the G3 Cumberland Lodge S. could be on the agenda for last year’s G1 St Leger winner Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}) following his recent winning return off an extended layoff due to peritonitis.
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