Love deserves to be Arc favourite – Dettori

Horse Racing

But quarantining Italian ‘can’t wait’ to see Enable again next week.

Love is a deserved favourite for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in the view of Frankie Dettori following her exploits this season.

Victories in the 1000 Guineas, Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks have seen Aidan O’Brien’s filly usurp Enable at the head of the market for the European middle-distance championship – and Dettori is fully aware of the threat she poses to the John Gosden-trained mare’s bid for an unprecedented third victory in the race.

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The Italian is back in Britain and undergoing a period of quarantine after a brief sojourn in France, where he bagged two Group Ones courtesy of Palace Pier and Campanelle and a Group Two with Mishriff.

Love has three Group Ones to her name already this season
Love has three Group Ones to her name already this season (Dan Abraham/PA)

He is due to be reunited with Enable for her prep run in the September Stakes on Saturday week, and said in his blog for Sporting Index: “Whilst in France I managed to watch most of York on my iPad and there’s no doubt we saw some amazing performances.

“Nobody can be surprised what Ghaiyyath did in the Juddmonte and what Love did in the Yorkshire Oaks, they are the superstars and they delivered.

“Love has now won the Guineas by four lengths, the Oaks by nine and the Yorkshire Oaks by five, she’s a three-year-old who gets all the allowances and overall you’d have to say she’s now entitled to her place at the top of the betting for the Arc.

“It will be an amazing contest and it’s without a doubt the best race that we’ve got in Europe, and to win it you’ve got to be the very best.

“As for Enable, I can’t wait to see her again next week. At the moment I’ve got to stay at my house until next Monday, and I’m lucky that I’ve got a gym here so I can work out and stay fit, but after that I’ll be straight into riding out.”

Palace Pier is heading for the QEII at Ascot
Palace Pier is heading for the QEII at Ascot (Edward Whitaker/PA)

Palace Pier is due to have his next race in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on British Champions Day, where he would have been in line to clash with Sussex Stakes winner Mohaather, only for news to emerge on Tuesday that Marcus Tregoning’s charge was to be retired following an injury setback.

Dettori said: “It’s sad when you get news of a top horse like him being retired early on through injury, so my thoughts are with his connections.

“It’s still a very hot division, with the likes of Siskin, Circus Maximus and Kameko, and the QEII on Champions Day, which looks like Palace Pier’s most obvious target, will hopefully be a cracking race.”

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Frankie Dettori Prix De L'arc De Triomphe

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