It will be a case of Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) versus Ballydoyle and Galileo (Ire) in Saturday’s G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S. at Ascot, but she’s been there before and connections are confident that the star mare is back in the right spot after her defeat in the July 5 G1 Eclipse S. at Sandown. John Gosden is expecting that comeback effort to have put her right for her historic bid for a third renewal of this prestige affair.
“I was very open with everybody that, being the age she is now, she’s found it difficult getting to race-fitness, more than ever before,” he explained. “So she’s found that challenging, but has a strong mind and has brought herself forward with the race to bring her on. She’s got older and wiser as she’s gone, but I feel she’s back in the zone now. I’m of the viewpoint that a Flat horse reaches its zenith aged five, so I still see her training beautifully for this. I just went with her ahead of the Eclipse and her work on the Limekilns has been perfect since. I’ve let her lead a couple of works too and she’s enjoyed that for a change.”
With two Derby winners in Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) and Sovereign (Ire) backing up the G1 Juddmonte International and G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Japan (GB) in the three-pronged Galileo attack, Gosden is aware that tactics could play a part but is happy to let Dettori take control of that aspect.
“Frankie likes to try and train her too, but I won’t try and ride her as well,” he added. “You have to go in with a blank canvass really and see how it pans out and see what the Ballydoyle horses do. I’ll leave that to the jockey and we’ll not tie anyone down to a plan.”
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“That one's easy. The 1996 Dubai World Cup. I was fortunate enough to go be Cigar's groom for that race. I was Bill Mott's foreman at the time, and his groom couldn't go, so I went as his groom. It was a huge blast.”
“I would have to say the Travers that Arrogate won. I'm just in awe of the horse. We got a nice mare to Arrogate, and you just watched him show up, shipping all over the country, and it was cool to be in his presence.”
