Dubai: Cloth Of Stars put up a brave chase for Godolphin in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Europe’s most prestigious race, but was unable to catch the winner Enable in a breathtaking renewal of the €5,000,000 contest run at its temporary home in Chantilly, France.
Ridden by Mickael Barzalona for seven-time Arc-winning handler Andre Fabre, Cloth Of Stars had a lot of ground to make up as Frankie Dettori got the first run aboard Enable with two furlongs to run. And although Godolphin’s French rider gave it all he had, the winner proved too strong in the end and crossed the line 2½ clear.
Winning trainer John Gosden said: “She’s very special and showed her sheer class and brilliance. It’s all about the filly and the owner-breeder Prince Khalid [Abdullah]. He bred the mother and for his farm to produce something like this is exciting for us all.”
Eclipse and Juddmonte International hero Ulysses (Jim Crowley) was another 1 1/4 back in third with Order Of St George (Donnacha O’Brien) in fourth.
Enable made history as the first British-trained three-year-old filly to win France’s most prestigious race and maintained three-year-old horses’ dominance of the 2,400 metre contest.
Seventeen of the last 23 runnings of the race have been won by horses aged three. Godolphin were looking to win the Arc four a fourth time following Lammtarra in 1995 Sakhee 2001 and Marienbard in 2002.
Godolphin’s Wild Illusion looks like a bright prospect for the future after winning the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussa with some panache under a confident James Doyle.
Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, was not without his share of the prizes as Battash gave him a second Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp, 27 years after Dayjur.
Supplemented to the opening race on Arc day, France’s only Group 1 race exclusively for juvenile fillies, Wild Illusion was pushed to the front of the seven-horse field with two furlongs to run and she put the race to bed within a matter of strides.
Freddy Head’s previously unbeaten filly Polydream held on for second place for the hard-working Maxim Guyon.
Doyle paid tribute to Godolphin founder His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for taking the decision to supplement the winner for the contest.
“The race worked out perfect it was a good move by His Highness and Charlie [Appleby] to supplement her,” he said.
“We were very confident going in to the race. She’s a relentless galloper and I think having been round here before stood her in good stead.”
Appleby was winning the race for the second successive year following the victory of Wuheida 12 months ago.
“I’m delighted. The improvement that she’d shown since her last run was enough to justify supplementing her,” said Godolphin’s Newmarket-based trainer. “I spoke to His Highness in depth about it and he said if we were happy with the horse we should go for it.
“You could see there she’s as genuine as the day is long. She’s a lovely filly with a great pedigree and we’ll put her away for the winter now. We can live the dream until next spring.
“I’m sure she’ll be in the reckoning for the 1000 Guineas, but on the basis of that, she’s a relentless galloper and staying is going to be her thing.”
British bookmakers Sky Bet introduced Wild Illusion at 14/1 for the English 1000 Guineas and 16/1 for the Epsom Oaks.”
