Enable added another prize to her five Group One wins during the 2017 Flat season on Tuesday night when, to no one’s great surprise, she picked up the horse of the year gong at the Cartier Awards dinner in London. John Gosden’s filly, who picked up two Classics and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe between June and October, emerged triumphant from a shortlist that also included Ulysses, Ribchester and her stable companion Cracksman, who was the only serious rival for the title after his seven-length romp in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.
Cracksman did not go unrewarded, as he was named the top three-year-old colt, while there were also prizes for Ulysses (older horse) and Harry Angel (sprinter) at the event which the organisers like to describe as “European racing’s equivalent of the Oscars”. The focus on Europe, though, does mean that there was no mention of Winx, the undisputed star of Australian racing, or Arrogate, who is still on top of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse rankings for 2017 despite having been beaten in his final three starts after winning the Dubai World Cup back in March.
It will be interesting to see how the international handicappers juggle the numbers before the World’s Best Racehorse award ceremony in January. Arrogate’s win at Meydan still has a very fair claim to be the best individual performance by any thoroughbred in 2017, despite being registered at a time when European Flat racing has barely opened its eyes, never mind clambered out of bed. But it would also seem very strange were he to be named the world’s best racehorse for the second year running, given his thorough failure to back it up during the remainder of the global campaign.
Enable had not even set foot on a racecourse this time last year and did not make her debut until 28 November, when she ran out the easy winner of a one-mile fillies’ maiden race on the Tapeta at Newcastle.
With that in mind, Kings Shield is an interesting runner for the Gosden yard when he starts his racing career at the same track this afternoon. The son of Scat Daddy was the top lot at the Craven Breeze-Up sale earlier this year, when a fierce bidding battle was eventually won by David Redvers, bidding on behalf of Qatar Racing, at 675,000gns.
Kings Shield is a half-brother to Great White Eagle, a Group Three winner who, oddly enough, was the top lot at the same sale in 2013, and is the narrow favourite to make a winning debut later today. However, he faces a stern opponent in Ostilio (4.15), who showed plenty of promise when beaten by half a length on his first start at Leicester last month, and Simon Crisford’s colt is the obvious one to take advantage if Kings Shield is in need of the experience this afternoon.
Lord Of The Glen (4.45) is still a maiden after 10 starts but he showed improved form to finish just a nose behind Cuppacoco in a nursery last time out with the third horse more than three lengths adrift. He will be hard to beat today if he can back that up.
If The Cap Fits (2.20) was one of the best bumper horses last season and made a deeply impressive debut over hurdles at Exeter last month. He should add another win to his record on a good card at Bangor-on-Dee this afternoon, while Cool Sky (2.50) and Sir Mangan (1.45) also have solid chances on the same card. Yanworth (3.00) is the class act down at Exeter but will set off at very cramped odds to remain unbeaten over fences, so Wicked Willy (2.30) makes more appeal at a working person’s price.
Wednesday tips
Ayr 12.30 Buffalo Ballet 1.00 Quick Pick 1.35 Spoils Of War 2.10 Wide Awake 2.40 Mac N Cheese 3.10 Gold Opera 3.45 Forewarning
Bangor-On-Dee 12.40 Agamemmon 1.10 Rene’s Girl 1.45 Sir Mangan 2.20 If The Cap Fits (nap) 2.50 Cool Sky 3.20 Erick Le Rouge 3.55 Motueka
Exeter 12.50 Present Times 1.25 Brave Eagle 2.00 Jepeck 2.30 Wicked Willy 3.00 Yanworth 3.35 Fairy Pol 4.05 Chosen Path
Newcastle 3.40 Zaidiyn 4.15 Ostilio 4.45 Lord Of The Glen (nb) 5.15 Francis Xavier 5.45 Rare Groove 6.15 Salty Sugar 6.45 Stardrifter
