Enable team hanging fire on committing to four-year-old career

Connections of Enable are in no rush to decide on the future following her “dream” success in Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Chantilly.

The John Gosden-trained filly always looked likely to win her fifth Group One of the season and her victory not only capped a memorable campaign, but also added to the incredible run of success in recent years for Prince Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms operation.

Frankie Dettori claimed his fifth win in the European middle-distance championship, making him the most successful jockey in the race’s history, while Abdullah needs one more to join Marcel Boussac as the leading owner after wins for Rainbow Quest (1985), Dancing Brave (1986), Rail Link (2006) and Workforce (2010).

“It was a day to hugely enjoy and appreciate,” said Teddy Grimthorpe, Abdullah’s long-standing racing manager.

“It might have looked easy, but it was a masterful ride. If you can do such a thing, he won the race in the first two to three furlongs in getting a trouble-free position.”

Abdullah’s homebreds in recent years have included the unbeaten Frankel and 2014’s leading miler Kingman, while Breeders’ Cup and Dubai World Cup hero Arrogate proved a shrewd yearling purchase in America.

“We’re very lucky, we truly appreciate it,” said Grimthorpe. “You have a horse like Frankel and think ‘that’s it, it’s probably not going to get much better’ but then along come the likes of Kingman, Arrogate and now Enable. It’s just been an absolute privilege to be around them.”

He added: “For Prince Khalid to win a fifth Arc which was also Frankie’s fifth and it was Enable’s fifth Group One of the season – it was really the stuff of dreams.

“Of course at Newbury in April when she was beaten by another of ours, Shutter Speed, you aren’t even dreaming of anything like this, but this is the great game of ours, it is why we are all involved in it.”

While it would be easy to make a snap decision on her future on the back of such euphoria, the whole team will take their time before deciding whether Enable will return to training as a four-year-old.

“There’s no decision on next year and there won’t be for a while yet, I’d imagine,” said Grimthorpe. “Firstly we need to get her back to Newmarket, check her over and the like, and then we all need to have a chat about what is best for the filly.”

If she does stay in training next year, Grimthorpe was not ruling out a drop back to 10 furlongs, saying: “She’s certainly got a little bit of zip. She’s very special.”