Enable, the greatest?

[Ant]

Hi lads, I’m fairly new to posting around here but have been reading the forum for years. I’ve been a dedicated racing fan since 2011/12 so have seen plenty of stunning race horses, but since Frankel, I don’t think I’ve seen a better one that Enable.

You lads are all much more informed on Racing than I am and some of your knowledge – especially from Steve Caution – is out of this world. However, in the six or seven years that I’ve been watching racing I’ve learnt a hell of a lot and can find no reason in my brain as to why Enable is not the greatest race horse since Frankel. If you disagree, could you please tell me why so I can begin to process the information?!

Kind regards fellas,
Ant

[Jonibake]

Welcome Ant! I couldn’t disagree with you and said the same yesterday. She is a machine and the way she put a proper race-fit Group 1 horse to the sword after such a long absence was astonishing. She seems completely bomb-proof too. Off a slow pace or a fast one, on any track, on any ground. Nothing can live with her. Perhaps she needs that 2nd Arc to propel her above Treve but yes, for me, she is the best since Frankel.

"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"

[ham]

Yeah id agree with that, doesnt seem to matter the pace of the race atall like joni said, she just looks rock solid and its obvious who frankie will be on come src day regardless of how good cracksman was/is and how good lah ti dar could be, they have a mountain to climb to get past enable

[stevecaution]

I think Enable needs to go on and win the Arc to cement herself as a “Great” of the game.

It would also be good for The Arc, as I don’t think it’s a vinage renewal. To see a Group 3 and weak Group 2 winner landing the Arc would be a bad result for the quality of the race.

Seeing previous winners with plenty Group 1 form triumph is what we should all be hoping for.

Thanks for the kind words Ant. Most on here would rather Dec me.

Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.

[Jonibake]

With respect, surely it’s not a bad renewal Steve? As things stand the top ten in the betting read:

Enable – OR 128 – 5 G1’s winner of Oaks, Irish Oaks, King George, Yorkshire Oaks and Arc
Sea Of Class – OR 118 – 2 G1’s winner of Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks
Cracksman – OR 125 – 3 G1’s winner of Champion Stakes, Coronation and Prix Ganay
Lah Ti Dar – OR 115 – clearly a smart filly on the up
Crystal Ocean – OR 129 – winner Hardwicke, runner up Leger and King George
Poet’s Word – OR130 – 2 G1’s – winner King George and POW
Forever Together – OR 115 – winner Oaks
Study Of Man – OR 115 – winner French Derby
Waldgeist – OR 121 – 2 G1’s
Capri – OR 120 – 2 G1’s winner Irish Derby and St Leger

Even if they don’t all run there’s plenty of quality in there.

Despite that – Enable still wins by at least 3 lengths I reckon.

"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"

[LD73]

Probably needs another Arc win to go with the greats as she has benefited from allowances last year and was also getting 8lbs from Crystal Ocean at Kempton. There is also the possibility of the ‘bounce factor’ playing a part – the secoond race back after a layoff doesn’t always mean an improvement from the 1st run.

I also believe that ground conditions at Longchamp could still play a key role in the Arc (especially re Cracksman) and both Sea of Class & especially Lah Ti Dar are really the dark horses in respect of what further improvement they can find when chucked into the deep end of open competition.

Fingers crossed that they all make the lineup and we get a difinitive answer to our questions.

[Nathan Hughes]

Enable is the best
but Golden Horn is the greatest, myself and Father had lumped on him winning the Arc
You can’t beat those memory’s and that of my brother looking glum for not partaking in it…

Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026

[Ant]

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I don’t feel like Poet’s Word and Crystal Ocean are great horses at all. They’ve pretty much been the standout performers at a mile and a half this season which to me highlights how much this season has lacked in quality. I’m used to seeing genuine quality like Golden Horn, Minding et al. For me, PW and Co are nothing special and it’s taken a hell of a long time for them to show group one quality, and even then I don’t think the form is particularly special. In my humble opinion they won’t be anywhere near the finishing line as Enable storms home in the Arc.

[ham]

The problem with poets word and crystal ocean ant is there lofty ratings pretty much come from mainly the way poets word beat cracksman and the proximity of CO to PW at ascot

The arguement stands for me that cracksman, poets word and crystal ocean could just be slightly overrated and flattered by there ratings, as its been pretty obvious that cracksman hasnt ran to his champion stakes form this season

Arguement against that being that they gave coronet a drubbing, who then went on to finish behind SOC, so it gives the form some substance, BUT she could have just underperformed that day at ascot and the obrien yard almost in turmoil at that point takes the gloss off the performance for me

You can only rate them on what it looks like theyv done, but i have that niggling doubt in my mind that they may just be both, slightly flattered with there ratings, enable could probably give CO weight at her best and still win comfortably.

Not sure id be worried about the “bounce” she probably had no clue how close anyone was to her at the weekend and the whip only flashed infront of her eye, it was 3/4 speed gallop at 1m4, nothing else

[Jonibake]

You might be right guys but don’t forget that they are both trained by Sir M who is a master of the late maturing horse. Poet’s Word ran once as a 2 year old and has slowly got better and better. CO also ran once as a 2 year old and is still lightly raced for his age. That is Stoute’s modus operandi and I think we could all name at least 10 horses that he has trained who have shown similar improvement over time.

I agree that Cracksman has not been at his best this year but they still finished 8 lengths clear of the rest that day at Ascot. I wouldn’t say they are “great” horses Ant but I would say Poet’s is certainly a proper 127/128 Group 1 horse and CO wouldn’t be far behind (so yes, slightly overrated as things stand).

"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"

[Gingertipster]

Enable could be the greatest female racehorse; not just since 2011 but for the last 80+ years.
Rated 134 by Timeform after her Arc win; that’s just 2 lbs lower than Timeform’s greatest ever rating for a female racehorse – Allez France, Habibti and Black Caviar. (Although given what’s happened in Australia recently must be doubts about whether the latter’s performances were drugs assisted). Enable only needs to improve 3 lbs on last year to be the best ever female in their history of rating horses!

Enable is my favourite racehorse and will in all probability come on for the run. However, imo people are getting carried away with the Kempton performance and have dissed Crystal Ocean far too much. It wasn’t Enable’s best performance, but with Crystal Ocean giving 8 lbs the colt actually put up a better Timeform rating than the filly did that day (worked out at the equivalent of 2 lbs per length)…

If Crystal Ocean is as over-rated as some believe then Enable must have also been a long way below form on Saturday… and that in turn means she’s got a lot more to find in order to recapture Arc winning form. That’s not how I see it.

Am hoping to back Enable nearer the time once NRNB comes in (even if at a shorter price than now.

Value Is Everything

[stevecaution]

Despite that – Enable still wins by at least 3 lengths I reckon.

Yes, because it is not as good a race as is being made out.

I assume you won’t be backing any of the list you put up Joni? There are some huge outsiders there for all their achievements to date.

I know I am not backing any of them anyway, it’s a bit like the movie Highlander this season:-

“One dream, one soul, one prize, one goal, one golden glance of what should be……It’s a kind of magic, there can be ONLY ONE, this rage that lasts a thousand years, will soon be done” (7th October to be precise)

A Gypsy fortune teller told me she had a vision and in that vision the Arc winner rhymed with Vince Cable it doesn’t get more clear cut than that.

Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.

[Author]

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