She’s done it again

What a race! What a finish!!! I am still reeling from the Arc of 2018. It promised a dramatic duel and it delivered in spades.

So many thoughts going through my head, even after watching the race more than half a dozen times. Was Enable fully fit? Did the Doyler leave it too late? Was the draw the main difference between victory and defeat?

I would never preach to top jockeys as I have only sat on horses four times in my life but we all have our opinions. So here are mine. I do not think that the draw was crucial as Sea Of Class was dropped in and looked to have settled well. The cutaway not being used may have been more of a hindrance as she had to come off the rail.

Enable has run a few pounds below last year, as did Cloth Of Stars (and didn’t Andre Fabre do well to have the third and fourth) and John Gosden did mention there had been a problem before the race. So that shows how classy the dual champion is. And the runner up is surely going to improve again. It is just possible we could see these two brilliant horses in Paris again next year. I am already giddy with anticipation.

But you have to hand it to Enable. To come into one of the biggest races of the season on the back of just one, all weather, run is some feat. She is entered for two races on Champions Day but there is also a chance she may go to the Breeders Cup and run in the Turf. She is a shade of odds on for a US raid.

Outstanding performances

There were, of course, other outstanding performances last Sunday at Longchamp. Battaash was fourth again but Mabs Cross was a very popular winner. She has only been out of the first three once in her last seven races so in hindsight she was an each way steal in the Abbaye. Soldiers Call must have some speed to get so close to his elders.

William Haggas was unlucky in the Arc but he gained some compensation when One Master was victorious in the Foret. She has only been beaten once in five runs on ground good or softer. Once again hindsight is a great thing. Just a note. All three Group Ones open to all ages and both sexes were won by fillies or mares. Not sure if it was a result of weight allowances or just that there are some very good horses of the female variety this season.

Which brings me on to Laurens. What a horse. She was winning her fifth Group One when holding off Happily in the Sun Chariot last weekend. Yet due to the Arc she was not the headline act. And it has always been so

She was 10/1 when winning the Fillies Mile and the same price when beating Alpha Centauri in the Matron. All of her winning margins have been less than a length. Her only two defeats at the top level have been in the 1000 Guineas and, the Yorkshire Oaks, over a trip too far. She is tough. We know that. But she has class too.

You have to if you want to be a champion. And she is that. She is entered in the Champion Stakes and if all the likely lads, and lasses, turn up we could have one of the races of the season.