Enable too strong for Magical in Coral-Eclipse

Enable showed her brilliance as she made a superb seasonal debut in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.

The John Gosden-trained mare became only the third of her sex to win the mile-and-a-quarter showpiece, after Pebbles (1985) and Kooyonga (1992) — and did it in style as she registered her eighth Group One triumph.

Frankie Dettori had the 4-6 favourite in the ideal pitch in second place behind the Aidan-O’Brien-trained Hunting Horn, before asking the dual Prix de ‘Arc de Triomphe heroine to go and win her race.

Though it was her first start since the Breeders’ Cup, she had the class to overcome any race-rustiness and defeat her old rival Magical, from the O’Brien team, by three-quarters of a length.

Regal Reality was two lengths back in third.

Gosden, winning the race for the fourth time, said: “It’s been a long preparation, she’s only started coming to herself the last two weeks and quite frankly she’s come here at 85 per cent (fit), maybe 90.

“The last furlong I was concerned and I told Frankie if she gets tired you look after her. This is not a prep, it’s an Eclipse, but it’s a prep for the rest of the year.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled with her.

“Frankie wanted to be where he was and she is an exceptional athlete — to come from an eight-month lay-off to win an Eclipse is not an easy thing.

“We didn’t go for racecourse gallops. We trained her at home and she’s done it all herself.

“The King George next is the plan.”