Can anyone stop her? The lowdown on Enable's challengers Magical and Lah Ti Dar

With racing superstar Enable facing three opponents in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks on Thursday, we analyse her two main rivals in Magical and Lah Ti Dar.

Can Magical bridge the gap?

Magical finds herself three-nil down to Enable on their previous three encounters, the most recent of which being when she chased home her old foe in the Group 1 Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown last month.

The four-year-old is joined by her stablemate and likely pacesetter South Sea Pearl in a bid to give Aidan O'Brien a fifth win in the fillies' feature, the most recent of which was Seventh Heaven in 2016.

Beaten just three-quarters of a length at Sandown, remarkably the daughter of Galileo had finished the same distance adrift of Enable on their previous clash in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs last November, and she tackles a mile and a half for the first time since.

Magical has since won three Group races in Ireland through the spring and early summer including the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh, following which she finished an honourable second to Crystal Ocean in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Ryan Moore will be aiming to pull one back on Magical and his only previous success in the fillies' highlight came on the O'Brien-trained Tapestry in 2014. The trainer said: "We decided after Sandown the best thing to do was to give her a little break and freshen her up for an autumn campaign.

"We saw how good she was in the autumn last year, and we're hoping she can do something similar this year. She seems to be in good form and she's a very straightforward filly."

Of outsider South Sea Pearl, O'Brien added: "South Sea Pearl has enjoyed a good campaign this summer and seems in good form. "

Pro Has had a nice break since Sandown and should be suited by the step up to a mile and a half.
Con Enable has won all three times the pair have met.

Cause for optimism with Lah Ti Dar?

Lah Ti Dar is certainly bred to win a Yorkshire Oaks as her dam Dar Re Mi won it for these connections in 2009.

The daughter of Dubawi has certainly kept the family trait as she is unbeaten in two starts on the Knavesmire, most recently when winning the Group 2 Middleton Fillies' Stakes in May.

Following that, Lah Ti Dar was all at sea on the contrasting undulations of Epsom, where she could only manage sixth behind Defoe in the Coronation Cup.

Lah Ti Dar: securing the Group 2 Middleton Fillies' StakesCredit: Mark Cranham

Returning to a more conventional track, the four-year-old improved to finish a close third to stablemate Coronet in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in June and that winner gave the form a boost when following up in similar company last weekend.

Lah Ti Dar is partnered for the first time by William Buick, who won this contest for the same connections on The Fugue in 2013 and will pick up over £45,000 if she finishes third.

Trainer John Gosden said: "Lah Ti Dar goes there in top form and Andrew and Madeleine Lloyd-Webber were very keen to run her as she has a perfect record at the track, having won the Galtres Stakes last year and the Middleton Stakes this year.

"The Knavesmire suits her very well and she deserves to take her chance."

Pro Likes the track and the family have a good record in the race.
Con Has come up short at Group 1 level.

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