International Guide: Enable seeks unprecedented King George three-peat

Group 1 racing is slated to take place on a near-daily basis in England and Ireland over the next week, with top-class action at Ascot and the Curragh to be followed by the five-day “Glorious Goodwood” meet starting on Tuesday.

With established stars Enable, Stradivarius, and Magical among the entries, fans of international racing have lots to be excited about. Let’s highlight five Group 1 races you won’t want to miss this week:

Saturday, July 25

Ascot, England, Race 6: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1, 10:35 a.m. ET)

She’s fast. She’s fantastic. She’s Enable, the ten-time Group 1 winner twice victorious in the coveted Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1). American racing fans might be most familiar with Enable through her gritty triumph in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), but the 6-year-old daughter of Nathaniel has been beating up on top-class rivals since 2017, the year she scored her first triumph in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Enable picked up a second King George title last season and will now seek an unprecedented three-peat in the prestigious 1 1/2-mile event. Three horses have managed to win the King George twice, but Enable will stand alone if she can complete the hat trick.

All signs indicate Enable is sitting on a winning run. Trained by John Gosden, Enable ran an excellent race in her 2020 debut, finishing second in the July 5 Coral-Eclipse (G1) over a 1 1/4-mile distance shorter than her best. With this sharpener under her belt, Enable figures to take a step forward while stretching back out over 1 1/2 miles with regular rider Frankie Dettori in the saddle.

Enable will face three rivals in the King George—a talented trio from the powerful stable of Aidan O’Brien. Japan won the Grand Prix de Paris (G1) and Juddmonte International (G1) last summer, Anthony Van Dyck nabbed the 2019 Epsom Derby (G1), and Sovereign stole the 2019 Irish Derby (G1). But they’ll all need meaningful improvement (or regression from Enable) to prevent the acclaimed favorite from making history in the King George.

Sunday, July 26

Curragh, Ireland, Race 3: Tattersalls Gold Cup (G1, 9:55 a.m. ET)

Magical is no stranger to facing males in Group 1 company. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, the decorated 5-year-old defeated all comers in the Tattersalls Gold Cup (G1), Irish Champion Stakes (G1), and Champion Stakes (G1) last season and has twice finished within a length of Enable, coming home second in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) and 2019 Coral-Eclipse (G1).

Suffice to say, Magical will be an overwhelming favorite when seeking a defense of her Tattersalls Gold Cup title on Sunday. She’ll face just five rivals in the 1 5/16-mile event, and while her stablemate Armory (placed three times against Group 1 company) could potentially put up a fight, Magical’s easy season-opening victory in the 1 1/4-mile Pretty Polly (G1) at the Curragh hints she’s still in top form and ready for a big performance.

Tuesday, July 28

Goodwood, England, Race 5: Goodwood Cup (G1, 10:15 a.m. ET)

Enable isn’t the only superstar John Gosden and Frankie Dettori will campaign in a bid for history this week. The acclaimed duo will also team up with Stradivarius in the 2-mile Goodwood Cup (G1), which means racing fans are in for quite a midweek treat.

Stradivarius has already won the Goodwood Cup three times, equaling the record set by Double Trigger in the 1990s. A fourth victory would place Stradivarius in a league of his own, and if his jaw-dropping 10-length romp in the Gold Cup (G1) at Ascot last month is any indication, it’s going to take a huge performance for anyone to deny this 13-time group stakes winner a record-breaking triumph.

Entries have not yet been finalized for the Goodwood Cup, but if anyone can give Stradivarius a run for the money, it’s probably the Aidan O’Brien-trained 3-year-old Santiago, a gutsy winner of the Irish Derby (G1). The son of Authorized handled 1 3/4 miles just fine when romping to victory in the Queen’s Vase (G2) over soft ground at Ascot, though tackling two miles against Stradivarius will be an entirely different challenge.

Spanish Mission, winner of the inaugural Jockey Club Derby at Belmont Park last fall, is also among the early entries for the Goodwood Cup.

Wednesday, July 29

Goodwood, England, Race 5: Sussex Stakes (G1, 10:15 a.m. ET)

Promising 3-year-olds will take on accomplished older runners in the 1-mile Sussex (G1), one of the most prestigious and competitive summer miles in the world. Early entries suggest the 2020 renewal will be a competitive affair with Aidan O’Brien’s 4-year-old Queen Anne (G1) winner Circus Maximus set to square off against the classic-winning sophomores Kameko (victorious in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket) and Siskin (undefeated winner of the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh).

Also popular in the early wagering is Mohaather, who rebounded from a seventh-place effort in the Queen Anne to dominate the July 11 Summer Mile (G2) by 3 3/4 lengths, earning a strong 123 Racing Post rating. It’s not uncommon for the Sussex to produce a starter or two for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), so keep an eye on how this Goodwood classic unfolds.

Thursday, July 30

Goodwood, England, Race 5: Nassau Stakes (G1, 10:15 a.m. ET)

Magic Wand has traveled the globe, competing in Ireland, England, France, the United States, Dubai, Australia, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia. Deirdre isn’t far behind in racking up frequent flyer miles, plying her trade in Japan, Hong Kong, Dubai, England, Ireland, and Saudi Arabia. Both are Group 1 winners, and while neither threatened to challenge for victory in the Coral-Eclipse (G1) last month, dropping in against fellow fillies and mares for the 1 1/4-mile Nassau (G1) figures to make Magic Wand and Deirdre tough to beat.

Then again, early entries suggest the Nassau will come up surprisingly deep. The undefeated 3-year-old Tawkeel could be any kind after dominating the 1 1/4-mile Prix Saint Alary (G1) by five lengths, and Fancy Blue showed tenacity to claim the 1 5/16-mile Prix de Diana (G1, French Oaks) by a neck over Group 1 winner Alpine Star.

Deirdre may have won the Nassau in 2019, and Magic Wand might have a ton of experience against top company. But you can bet they’ll be in for a fight to reach the winner’s circle at Goodwood.

Enjoy the racing!