Brilliant filly Enable (Nathaniel) will be all the rage when the 3yo lines up in the Gr1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks, the major feature on the second day of the 2017 Ebor Festival at York on Thursday.
Just five fillies have accepted to take on Enable, who is currently quoted a 1-3 chance for Thursday’s 2400m race, which is open to fillies and mares.

The filly has won five of her six outings and comes off a handsome victory, over males, in the prestigious King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes back in July. The dual Oaks winner (Enable impressed when landing both the Gr1 Investec and Gr1 Darley Irish Oaks by an aggregate of more than 10 lengths earlier this season) looks hard to oppose –especially as Enable will be receiving weight from arguably her stiffest rivals.

The Hatrick seeking Nezwaah (Dubawi) is from a bang in-form yard and did win the Gr1 Pretty Polly Stakes last time out. However, Enable is getting plenty of weight from this four-year-old, who is officially rated 14 lbs her superior.

Trainer Sir Michael Stoute has won this race a joint equal record breaking nine times and he saddles two here in the form of Queen’s Trust and Abingdon respectively.

Last year’s Yorkshire Oaks third, Queen’s Trust (Dansili) did win last year’s Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Filly& Mare Turf and was not disgraced when fourth in the Gr1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, in open company, two starts back. However, she too will be giving weight to Enable and was last, behind brilliant filly Winter (Galileo), in the Gr1 Qatar Nassau Stakes last time out.

Her stable mate Abingdon (Street Cry) won a listed race by ten lengths three starts back but looks up against here having been beaten in lesser company at her last two outings.

Enable is one of three 3yos in the race, and has already beaten fellow Alluringly (Fastnet Rock), winner of the recent Listed Hurry Harriet Stakes, by 11 and 12 lengths, in the Investec and Irish Oaks, respectively. Hard to fancy Alluringly turning the tables.

Well bred Gr2 Ribblesdale Stakes winner Coronet (Dubawi) is a stable mate of Enable but she finished more than eight lengths adrift of that star when a well beaten fourth in the Gr1 Irish Oaks last time out. Definitely appears the stable’s second string.