Gosden assistant says Enable is the best he's seen in 20 years

Barry O'Dowd, assistant trainer to John Gosden, has described Enable as the best horse he has seen in 20 years at the yard.

O'Dowd was speaking to Lewis Porteous for a feature in Sunday's Racing Post with all those closest to the mighty mare discussing what she means to them as the countdown to her bid for a third Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe continues.

Having joined the Clarehaven team in 2000, O'Dowd has seen the likes of Derby winner Golden Horn, superstar miler Kingman, triple Gold Cup hero Stradivarius and fellow champions Cracksman and Roaring Lion, but he is in no doubt that Enable is top of the pile.

O'Dowd said: "I've been around some amazing horses over the years, multiple Group 1 winners, but she's the best ever and I don't think I'll see another like her in my lifetime.

"She's an awesome mare and has a huge presence about her. She means everything – you get into racing to work with horses like this and she's a bit of a phenomenon really. To me she's the best filly in the world. There's no weakness in her, she's made of iron and has proved it time after time."

Barry O'Dowd: assistant trainer to John Gosden

Describing Enable's personality, O'Dowd added: "She wants to race and knows what she's been put on this earth to do, and that's to be the best. You can't spoil them too much but she does get treated like a queen because she is one.

"If she's not in the right frame of mind in the morning she'll let you know about it, but she's a six-year-old mare and is entitled to be like that. She means everything to everybody at Clarehaven and it will be a sad day when she gets on the box to leave for the final time."

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Read more from the Enable team and her biggest fans in the Big Read, available to members from 6pm on Saturday or in Sunday's Racing Post newspaper. Join Members' Club here.