Godolphin excel on the weekend, two Champion females held world racing spellbound

A working trip to Longchamp on Arc weekend is always challenging, yet Godolphin came away from Paris with three important winners plus a determined performance that earned  the admirable Cloth Of Stars another placing in Europe’s biggest all-aged race.

The Charlie Appleby-trained Brundtland continued his rise through the ranks when landing the G2 Prix Chaudenay, while stablemate Wild Illusion was superb in taking the G1 Prix de l’Opera and the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Royal Marine brilliant in lifting the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

They were all wins of significance, which augurs well for the remaining international meetings in America, Japan and Hong Kong, as well as, in Royal Marine’s case, next year’s European Classics.

On a wider level, it may not be fully appreciated yet how significant the weekend just past has been to international racing.

On Saturday, 6 October, the iconic Australian mare Winx registered her 28th consecutive victory when taking the G1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington, Melbourne, coming from near-last on the home bend.

Then, the next day, Sunday, 7 October, the outstanding English-trained filly Enable went into the record books as the eighth dual winner of France’s G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, on only her second start in 12 months.

Both these great equine females - the word great is not used casually in this instance - produced heart-stopping performances that showcased attributes to which every owner would aspire, given opportunity and budget, when breeding a thoroughbred racehorse.

They are unique in being able to sustain their high level of performance and, in the process, gather fans with every outing. And, that is an important factor if racing, as a global sport, is to continue to prosper. They are the sport’s biggest promoters.

Trainer John Gosden, sending out his third winner of the Arc, admitted Enable had not enjoyed the perfect preparation. Following a long lay-off due to injury, she came back to win on the all-weather at Kempton Park but then missed an important gallop after spiking a temperature.

Enable is to Gosden what Nijinsky was to Vincent O’Brien and Sunday Silence was to Charlie Whittingham - the Champion with which each is always associated.