Paddy Power would love to see Enable win her third Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Sunday, but believes the six-year-old could be vulnerable against a strong field at Longchamp.
Our main man is a big supporter of the John Gosden-trained mare, who won the Arc in 2017 and 2018 before being pipped by Waldgeist last year.
Enable has another chance to become the most successful horse in the history of the Group 1 race this time around, but Paddy is not convinced that she has what it takes.
Speaking on the latest episode of the From The Horse’s Mouth podcast, Paddy played down her chances of beating Aidan O’Brien’s Love.
I’m a huge fan of Enable but when you watch back her Arc wins, she doesn’t hack up.
The first one she won pretty well but the second one she just clung on. Sea Of Class was weaving from last to first, and that’s how she’s going to get beaten.
Last year she did get beaten in that fashion as the other horses closed on her. Frankie Dettori presses go at 350 metres out, and just goes for it.
She kicks a couple of lengths clear and says ‘come and get me’ then sees it out.
She’s done it ?
Enable has won the 2018 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe! pic.twitter.com/aC2esVCYkQ
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) October 7, 2018
But she’s vulnerable. I hope she does get her third, because she is a phenomenon. One of the best of our generation – and obviously the best of her generation.
It’s a pleasure to see a horse like that – a great champion – and to have her around for a few years as well. Her connections have been amazing from that perspective.
I do think it’s the right thing to do to keep her racing, because these horses don’t come around that often. Just enjoy them as much as you can.
She ‘could’ win. Love is one of the favourites – she has been very impressive this year, but I just hope Enable wins.
There are other bigger prices that also have a chance, like Sottsass who was eye-catching in the Irish Champion Stakes over a couple of furlongs too short and was beaten by Enable before but he could have come on a bit, and might be a better horse this year.
There’s other ones that have each-way chances against her but the market is dominated by the ladies and rightly so with Love and Enable.
Pragmatically looking at it, in the cold light of day, can Enable be as good as she was two years ago? Or even last year?
It’s got to be more likely than not that she isn’t as good as she was. It depends how strong this Arc is, but it could be a very strong one because Love is a very serious animal.
There are a few other hardened campaigners in the field as well. I think she’s going to have to be at least as good as last year, and maybe a tiny bit better, and I don’t think she is.
*Odds quoted on the widget are Antepost prices which means that if your selection does not run in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for whatever reason – you will lose your stake under traditional Antepost rules.
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