Houston, we've got a problem: Gosden ground fears ring true as Enable is denied

John Gosden saw the sucker punch coming but neither he nor the collective will of the Longchamp crowd could change the very soft ground that hampered Enable in her bid for a historic third Arc.

The champion trainer was a figure of calm in a packed parade ring before the race despite carrying a heavy burden of expectation, and was equally composed when delivering his post-race analysis.

Despite the difficult conditions, Gosden was pleased with Enable's run and said a decision on the five-year-old's future would be made by owner Khalid Abdullah in the coming days.

He was also full of praise for the Andre Fabre-trained winner Waldgeist, who he felt simply stayed on best in the testing ground.

Waldgeist gets up to beat Enable in the Prix de l'Arc de TriompheCredit: Edward Whitaker

"She was beaten by a class horse who Andre has been pleased with this year. The winner just outstayed her in the rain," said Gosden.

"Had it been good to soft I'd have been disappointed with finishing second but I saw the sucker punch coming. When I walked the course with Frankie [Dettori] and saw how far the stick was going in, I thought 'Houston, we've got a problem'.

"Enable has a great turn of foot with 400 metres to go but that was blunted in the ground. Her stamina gave out in an intense race over that trip. It's as simple as that. There was no hiding place.

"I can deal with the disappointment because she was fine after the race and I have a lot of respect for the winner and connections. We were beaten by a better horse on the day in the conditions."

The Longchamp crowd cheers on Enable before the ArcCredit: Edward Whitaker

Enable was welcomed back into the parade ring to a chorus of cheers from the crowd and Gosden added: "It was a lovely reception and it's great for racing. I'm sorry we didn't quite pull it off."

While they could not add another winning entry to Enable's fairytale story, Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to Khalid Abdullah, praised the star mare and her contribution to the sport.

"The expectation was enormous and the wave of goodwill was unbelievable," said Grimthorpe. "It's not quite what we hoped for but how can we complain? She's an unbelievable filly and we love her to death – we don't love her any less now.

"She's been very special to a lot of people and hasn't let us down. She's run a fantastic race and just got outstayed on the ground. We'll get her back, see how she is and contemplate a special filly.

"She's a fourth generation Juddmonte-bred, so an awful lot of people have been involved in the raising of the families so it's been hugely emotional and an exciting run. It's just extraordinary."

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