Dubai: Ever since a tiny 14-year-old Romanian gymnast notched the first ‘Perfect 10’ score in Olympic history when achieving the feat at the 1976 Games in Montreal, the number has assumed great significance in the world of sport.
On a beautiful Thursday evening at Yorkshire Racecourse in the north of England, the superstar filly named Enable secured the equine equivalent of a ‘Perfect 10’, when pirouetting to her 10th consecutive Group 1 victory in 14 starts, in the Yorkshire Oaks.
Having gained a ninth Group 1 victory just last month at Ascot when narrowly outduelling Crystal Ocean to win the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the five-year-old daughter of Nathaniel, himself a former King George scorer, comfortably saw off the challenge of Irish raider Magical by two-and-three-quarter lengths, with Lah Ti Dar 10 lengths further back in third.
Trained by the legendary John Gosden, Enable’s only defeat came during the Dubai Duty Free Spring Trials at Newbury in April 2018 when she finished behind stable company Shutter Speed and Raheen House.
Since then she has done nothing but thrive picking off major prizes such as the Group 1 Epsom and Irish Oaks, the King George, Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. The list goes on and on.
Thursday’s race marked her British swansong as she is will be retired after the Arc, the French showpiece at Longchamp Racecourse, in October.
Enable has also proved a big-earned for her owner-breeder, the late Khalid Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, amassing over £9.5 million in prize money.
Doing the honours aboard the superstar mare was the evergreen Frankie Dettori, who was notching his 14th Group 1 victory of what has been a renaissance season for the Italian.
“I’m really tearful because this is the last day she will be running in England — it’s special,” the 48-year-old rider told Racing TV. “ I’m emotional because she’s so good. She’s amazing and the turnout is fantastic.
Trainer John Gosden was effusive in his praise for Enable and said: “It was a gorgeous performance and there was no point of taking her back as she’s quick from the gates. He [Frankie Dettori] said she really quickened the last two [furlongs], she really turned it on.
“She likes her training and she likes her racing. I’m glad we have brought her here, it was a lovely prep [for the Arc] and we couldn’t be more pleased with her.
“She has this amazing, competitive mind — if you were married to her you would have to listen. She is a great filly, great constitution and we started life out at Newcastle and she’s done nothing but pleased. I’ve seen some wonderful racemares in my time and she’s one of those.”
Earlier in the day, Mums Tipple delivered the performance of the season when storming to a 11-length victory over his 21 rivals in UK Premier Yearling Stakes.
Trained by Richard Hannon Jr for lucky owners Marian Lyons and her daughter-in-law Patricia Zanelli, Mums Tipple earned a 12/1 quote for next year’s English 2,000 Guineas.
Lyons and Zanelli said: “We’re delighted. Brilliant horse. Fantastic run. There was no danger. I could not have imagined that. It’s only his second race. My son buys them for Christmas for us — this was last year’s present.”
Moore added: “He’s a big strong boy. He’ll get better and is a man already.”
