This Miss is a horse racing legend
Stairway to Heaven or Bohemian Rhapsody? The Godfather or Citizen Kane? Pele or Maradona? Or even Twix or Kit Kat? It is all about opinions.
And it is a personal thing. So, how do we rate Enable now? She has won two Arcs, two Derbys, a King George, and now the Breeders Cup Turf. She only just beat Magical last week at Churchill Downs, and probably ran five pounds below her best, while the runner up posted a personal best. And they were nine lengths clear of the third!.
Enable has had an interrupted preparation and had her season gone to plan she may not have even made the trip to Kentucky.
But once again she showed she is surely the best mile and a half horse on the planet. I am bigging myself up here, but in my 2017 Oaks preview I said of her “I like this horse a lot” but I could not have predicted how good she would become. And I think she can be classed as a great. But how great?
In my eyes Sea Bird, Brigadier Gerard, and Frankel are the top three turf horses. But that means leaving out Nijinsky, Dancing Brave, Sea The Stars and Mill Reef. And many others. So where does Enable sit in reference to these legends?
It could be that she races on next year and wins another King George and an unprecedented third Arc. But how can we say for sure she is inferior to my favourite three? Or is she really better than Shergar? Unless they run against each other it is impossible to say for sure. But I do like having the discussion. Especially if it is with friends over a few glasses of something pleasant.
Genuine top-class performer
Expert Eye was the only winner for us but he did show that he is a genuine top-class performer and Frankie rode him so well.
A few of the European raiders showed signs of a long season especially Roaring Lion, who was also racing on a unknown surface. And seeing Thunder Snow given the full treatment in the same race was not good to watch. It also highlighted the difference in the rules in different countries. It put a damper on the meeting and the jockey should know better. Just because it’s allowed doesn’t mean it is necessary.
Wild Illusion was pipped at the post in the Filly & Mare Turf but her trainer, Charlie Appleby, gained massive compensation when becoming the first British trainer to saddle the winner of the Melbourne Cup when Cross Counter over hauled Marmelo and Prince Of Arran to head a British 1-2-3. Mr Appleby has had some season hasn’t he?
Cliffsofmoher fractured his shoulder in the race and could not be saved. He had been second in last years Derby and had finished third in the Caulfield Cup on his final start before the cup.
It can be a cruel game.
