Enable ready to race, says Dettori

John Gosden has not rushed the dual Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine into action this term, with all her major targets in the second half of the season.

A third win in the Arc is the primary objective and Frankie Dettori, who has been on board as her work has stepped up on the Newmarket gallops recently, is happy with her progress.

“She’s well, I’m very pleased with her,” says Dettori who remains buoyed by his seven successes at Royal Ascot last month. “I’ve been riding her for the last month and she’s really come on, she’s ready for the run.”

Aidan O’Brien’s Circus Maximus, successful in the St James’s Palace Stakes, and William Haggas’s Addeybb, winner of the Wolferton Stakes under Thirsk jockey Danny Tudhope, also feature among the 13 contenders.

O’Brien has also left in Magical, who was second to Crystal Ocean in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, Magic Wand, Flag Of Honour and Hunting Horn.

Sir Michael Stoute has two potential runners in the progressive Regal Reality and Mustashry, who could step back up in trip having won the Lockinge earlier in the season.

Hughie Morrison has left in Telecaster after his disappointment in the Derby, but prior to that he looked very good in winning the Dante at York under Osin Murphy.

Telecaster’s participation has still to be confirmed though, with a decision expected midweek.

“We’ve stayed in so far and we’ll take a view later in the week,” said owner Mark Weinfeld.

“There’s 13 left in. We’d originally thought the Eclipse might come too soon and there’s Enable to think of, but you should never run away from one.

“There’s always a chance Enable might not turn up yet and if we were second to Enable, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. We’ll only run if we think it’s the right thing to do. Hughie is confident he’s got a big one in him.”

Weinfeld also confirmed that Anapurna, winner of the Epsom Oaks, has the Darley Yorkshire Oaks in her sights after her mid-season break.

Like Enable, she is trained by the aforementioned Gosden and came out on top in a titanic battle with Pink Dogwood to claim the Oaks – the Epsom Classic for three-year-old fillies.

She has been given plenty of time to get over those exertions, with connections ruling out the Irish Oaks.

Instead, Anapurna will be back in action at York, all things being equal, where she could meet any number of stablemates including Coronet, Lah Ti Dar, Star Catcher, Mehdaayih and Enable.

“We have an entry for the Yorkshire Oaks and if she’s going well, then I think she might take it up, but we’ll have to see how she is nearer the time,” said Weinfeld, manager for owner Helena Springfield Ltd.

“We weren’t tempted by the Irish Oaks, we always felt it was coming too soon as she had a hard race.

“Hopefully we’ve done the right thing, but you never know. That Epsom Derby/Oaks course can take it out of a horse, some horses take a long time to recover.”

Charlie Hills is leaning towards giving Irish 2000 Guineas winner Phoenix Of Spain the chance to get his career back on track in the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood later this month.

The son of Lope De Vega could bid to give the Lambourn handler his first victory in the mile Group One prize on July 31 after being taken out of the entries for Saturday’s Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.

Having made a winning return to action in the Irish Classic, the Tony Wechsler and Ann Plummer-owned three year old failed to back it up when finishing down the field in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Hills said: “Phoenix Of Spain was very sore when he came back from Ascot. He had a quiet week but he is back cantering steadily and I’m pleased with him.

“I need to speak to the owners, but the plan in my mind is to stay at a mile and look towards the Sussex Stakes.”