Yorkshire Oaks preview: John Gosden feeling the pressure as Enable bids for Knavesmire glory
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
Watch in-depth video analysis of the Darley Yorkshire Oaks from Alex Steedman and Tony Calvin from Monday's The Betting Lab.
John Gosden believes there is plenty of pressure on Enable as she targets a fourth successive Group One victory in Thursday's Darley Yorkshire Oaks.
Although odds-on to add the York prize to her victories in the English and Irish Oaks and King George, Gosden, who will also be represented by Ribblesdale winner Coronet, feels the race is far from a penalty kick for the daughter of Nathaniel.
He said: "We always wanted to go to this race. It was meant to be Irish Oaks to Yorkshire Oaks. She took the Irish Oaks so much in her stride that then the King George came into play.
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"When you are lucky enough to have a Golden Horn in the yard or a filly of Enable's ilk - like Taghrooda - it's a great buzz. But, of course, with it comes added pressures - never forget that."
Sir Michael Stoute will be double-handed in his bid to claim a record-breaking 10th triumph in the race after declaring last year's Breeders' Cup winner Queen's Trust and multiple Listed scorer Abingdon.
He said: "Queen's Trust hasn't had the rub of the green this year. In the Prince of Wales's, she got badly interfered with and was really coming home. Then the ground was too soft for her in the Nassau. But she is in good shape - she'll run a big one.
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"Abingdon is solid. She's won at the track - the Galtres last year - she has been running well this year and I hope she'll be in the frame. I'll be happy with that. Good (ground) is no problem, but with her, she doesn't want it softer than good."
While Group One scorer Nezwaah is facing her first try over the mile-and-a-half trip, her trainer Roger Varian is optimistic the daughter of Dubawi will see it out.
He said: "She is in great form and is training well. I think Enable will be very hard to beat and there some other fillies with very good CVs in the line-up.
"I think Nezwaah is the one in the field that none of us really know how far her potential will go at this level. She won a Listed race at Ayr in a canter then had them all well beaten in the Pretty Polly last time out.
"If there is a bit more to come from her, it could be with the step up to a mile and a half. It is very exciting.
"She had three entries in the Romanet, the Juddmonte and the Yorkshire Oaks and this is the race myself and the owner thought was best for her.
"We trained her mother (Ferdoos) and she stayed really well. Andrea (Atzeni) said after the Curragh she would stay a mile and a half.
"I am really positive that this is the right race to run in against her own sex."
After Seventh Heaven and Found provided trainer Aidan O'Brien with a one-two in the race 12 months ago, the Ballydoyle master will rely on Epsom Oaks third Alluringly to give him victory number five.
O'Brien said: "We're going to give her another go over a mile and a half. She won in Gowran very nicely. That was only a few days ago, but she seems to have come out of it well."
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