The Galileo show rolled on at Epsom overnight with his top
class son Highland Reel adding a fifth Group I win to his tally with victory in
the Coronation Cup, while his promising young sire son Nathaniel was
responsible for Epsom Oaks winner Enable.
A thunder storm and pouring rain did nothing to slow down the Juddmonte Farms
homebred filly Enable, who swept past the favourite Rhododendron (Galileo) to
score a powerful five length win in race record time.
Frankie Dettori described the treacherous conditions and was full of praise for
Enable.
"It wasn't nice out there,"
said Dettori.
"Horses get scared. You heard the
bang –I got scared! When it rains so quickly the visibility becomes very
bad and the reins start slipping. You try to be extra cautious and give
yourself an extra yard.
"At the back of my mind I knew I had a great chance and I knew there was a
question mark about Rhododendron's stamina. I knew my filly would get to the
line. When I saw Ryan (Moore on Rhododendron)not moving, I thought, 'Oh God, I'm in trouble!' Then once I saw the
distress signals coming out from her, I knew my filly would stay right to the
end.
"In the
last furlong, the conditions were so bad I daren't take my hands off the reins
to celebrate. I thought just get the job done and celebrate afterwards. She has
put up a very good performance –and I think she will get better and
better."
"After Chester I felt she was as good as I've had since Taghrooda," said Gosden referring to his 2014 Epsom Oaks winner.
"She's in that class. I said coming down today we would have to turn over a brilliant filly. I said there was a chance we might –and we have."
With a pedigree featuring a close up 3 x 2 double cross of Sadler's Wells, Enable
is the best of three winners from stakes-winning Sadler's Wells mare Concentric
and is from the first crop of Galileo's Group I winning son Nathaniel.Very much a staying son of Galileo, who posted four wins from 2000 to 2400 metres, Nathaniel stands at Newsells Park at a fee of 17,500 pounds.
Nathaniel notably started his career with a debut half length second to another Galileo son in Frankel when finishing second to that horse in a one mile two year old maiden at Newmarket on August 13, 2010.
While Frankel continued throughout his career over the next two years to retire an unbeaten world champion, Nathaniel was more of a slow burn quite achiever, but nevertheless claimed Group I wins in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at three and then the Coral Eclipse Stakes at four.
Interestingly he closed his career with another placing behind Frankel, finishing third to him in the Qipco Champions Stakes at Ascot.
While Frankel clearly had the advantage over Nathaniel on the racetrack, the latter colt has now turned the tables on his rival to be the first to sire an English classic winner!
