Gosden: there is a 'strong likelihood' Enable will be beaten due to the ground

3.05 Longchamp
Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Group 1) | 1m4f, 3yo+ | ITV/Sky

Supporters of Enable will not like much of what they are about to read.

John Gosden believes Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe favourite Enable is too short in the betting. Even more worryingly, he believes that on Longchamp's gruelling ground, defeat is "a strong likelihood".

Should he be proved wrong, as he would love to be, Gosden will go down in the sport's annals as the first trainer ever to produce one horse to win three Arcs.

Alongside stable jockey Frankie Dettori, he first triumphed with Golden Horn in 2015, yet while that colt was retired at three, Enable has continued under her trainer's tutelage to the age of six.

As the season has gone on, Gosden has repeated more than once that at an age when most top mares would be enjoying a more relaxed life at stud, Khalid Abdullah's homebred champion has found it harder to peak. That, however, is not what is worrying the champion trainer as he prepares to run Enable for what will surely be the last time.

Enable and Frankie Dettori complete one of their final pre-Arc Newmarket workoutsCredit: Edward Whitaker

"It's obviously disappointing when a race of this stature is run on what will be specialist ground," said Gosden.

"The problem with this ground is she's a classy filly and it's hard to show your brilliance on a surface that is likely to turn it into a slog. It's the same for everyone, but she's a filly that ideally likes to run on the easy side of good ground.

"It's not ideal, and for her to be so short to win the race in such conditions is a bit absurd. They are backing her as if defeat is out of the question when I can assure you that defeat is a strong likelihood on this ground. It's not ground that plays to her strengths and if someone handles it really well then good luck to them. I feel the ground has very much gone against her chances."

Those brutally honest words do not offer much encouragement to Enable's backers. More positively, Gosden is pleased with Enable's condition, so much so he is unconcerned about this year staying away from Longchamp – had he travelled to France, even updated quarantine restrictions for the sport's participants would have prevented him from attending next week's important Tattersalls yearling sales.

Gosden said: "I have a fantastic team over there, including two top travelling head lads and the grooms, as well as my son and assistant Thady. Obviously, I'm not going to be there this year, but me being there does not make them run any faster."

Enable was last year not quite fast enough to hold off Waldgeist, who emerged on top at the end of a contest played out in similar conditions to those that will prevail this season. That was Frankie Dettori's 31st Arc ride. He hopes for a much happier outcome to his 32nd.

"For the Arc I will be super-excited and nervous," he said. "It's a great feeling. Horrible, but great. Even when you win, it's not a nice feeling for a while until it sinks in. Then it totally consumes you."

For what would be the seventh time, Dettori would dearly love to be consumed again.

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