Frankie Dettori bullish over Enable Turf chance

Frankie Dettori believes “records are there to be broken” as Enable gears up for the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs.

The four-year-old will be trying to defy the weight of history in becoming the first Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner to follow up at the feature American meeting.

Enable has had a limited campaign following an early-season setback, but roared back to her best with a second win in the European middle-distance championship at the start of October.

The Italian thinks that shortened season can play in favour of the John Gosden-trained filly, as she looks to succeed where the likes of Dancing Brave and others have failed, including the Dettori-ridden Golden Horn.

He said: “I’m aware of the fact that no horse has won an Arc and a Breeders’ Cup Turf, but records are there to be broken.

“In favour of Enable, she has only raced twice, is very fresh in herself and seems to have travelled over well, and she’s shown her versatility winning around Chester and Epsom and also a King George in soft ground.

“You never can be completely certain that everything is spot on, but you certainly wouldn’t suspect it (anything wrong) with this filly.”

Dettori has two other rides on Saturday’s card. Eziyra in the Filly & Mare Turf for Dermot Weld and Sir Michael Stoute’s Expert Eye in the Mile.

Like Enable, Expert Eye runs in the colours of Khalid Abdullah and Dettori is upbeat about his chance after he finished third to Recoletos in the Prix du Moulin last time out.

He said: “I think Expert Eye has a very good chance in the Mile. He was a bit of a handful early in his career, but is different now. I won on him at York and he ran super in the Moulin.

“He’s drawn seven, in the middle on Saturday, which isn’t bad at all, but as everyone knows in the Mile you need to get all the breaks. You also need more of a seven-furlong horse than a miler, as the emphasis is on speed.”

Dettori admits Churchill Downs has a special place in his heart as he partnered his first Breeders’ Cup winner at the track some 24 years ago in the Mile.

He added: “The Breeders’ Cup brings back a lot of great memories for me, as it was on Barathea, who was bred by Gerald Leigh and owned by Sheikh Mohammed, that I had my first winner at the meeting in 1994 at the age of 23.

“To win a Breeders’ Cup race at that age was amazing, and I sealed it with my first flying dismount.”

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