Dettori repeats Arc de Triomphe success on flying Enable

Paris (AFP) – Frankie Dettori won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on star filly Enable on Sunday, repeating their success from last year with his record-extending sixth win in the race.

Even-money favourite Enable, trained by John Gosden, was run close by 4/1 shot Sea Of Class at Longchamp, but hung on to become only the eighth horse in history to win the Arc twice.

Enable won despite being restricted to just the one outing this season with victory in The September Stakes at Kempton, and Gosden admitted that the four-year-old wasn’t at her best despite the triumph.

“It has not been easy, we actually had a slight hiccup between Kempton and here, a temperature thing,” said Gosden.

“It’s down to the filly, the jockey has ridden a lovely race and full marks to the second who came flying at us. Enable wasn’t at her best today, she’s got the job done and it’s very much down to her mind and ability.”

It was a sixth Group One victory from as many runs for Enable, and she has now been installed as an odds-on favourite for the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

“It was my 30th Arc and you’d think I’d be used to it but I was so nervous this morning,” said the 47-year-old Italian Dettori.

“Everybody wanted Enable to win and I felt it. It’s great that it’s happened… The last 50 yards we were on our hands and knees, I was trying to squeeze everything I could out of her.”

Sea Of Class, sired by 2009 winner Sea The Stars, was some way off the leaders in the home turn but picked up pace rapidly to push Enable to the line, but Dettori’s mount won by a neck in a thrilling finish.

The three-year-old, ridden by James Doyle, paid for a bad draw in stall 15.

“I was thrilled with the ride she got, we were just unfortunate we needed another five metres,” said trainer William Haggas.

“For jockeys winning is everything — and for trainers as well — but he (Doyle) should be very proud of the part he has played in this filly and hopefully we’ll have lots more to come next year.”

Cloth Of Stars (20-1) backed up last year’s runner-up finish by finishing third for French master trainer Andre Fabre.

Capri was the best of Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien’s five runners in fifth, just behind Fabre’s Waldgeist.