Winter to rain on Dettori's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe parade

Frankie Dettori teams up with Enable in Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe "nervous and excited" at the flying filly's prospects of delivering his record fifth win in Europe's richest race.

The odds-on favourite arrives at Chantilly for the five million-euro ($5.9 million) showpiece after an immaculate three-year-old campaign in which she has won three Oaks and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Seemingly bombproof trainer John Gosden's stablestar has all the attributes associated with an Arc winner - speed, stamina, a turbo-charged engine, a cool head, and an aptitude for all underfoot conditions.

"When it comes to Enable, I shouldn't have to say how good she has been, it's black and white!" Italian riding legend Dettori wrote in his regular blog for British bookmaker Ladbrokes this week.

"She's been a model of consistency and is in good fettle but this is her biggest appointment yet. It's the most famous race in Europe, and she will have to deal with that."

Dettori, whose previous Arc wins came aboard Lammtarra, Sakhee, Marienbard and Gosden's Golden Horn, rates Ulysees as his main danger.

Trained by Michael Stoute, the 7-1 second favourite followed Enable across the line in the King George before franking that form in style in the Juddmonte International at York.

"I am a big fan of him and he's a horse on the up," said Dettori of Ulysses.

Thursday's draw saw Ulysses and Enable allotted stalls one and two on the rails.

Another out to prevent Dettori inking his name in Arc folklore is Winter, one of five trained by Aidan O'Brien, who is tackling the 2400m trip for the very first time.

The last horse to claim the Arc not having run over the distance before was Saumarez, back in 1990.

- Untested -

Winter is ridden by Ryan Moore, who had the pick of O'Brien's quintet which includes St Leger winner Capri, and last year's Arc third-place finisher Order Of St George.

Moore, on board Found who led home a historic 1-2-3 for O'Brien 12 months ago, clearly believes the dual 1,000 Guineas winner has the potential to prove as devastatingly effective over this untested trip as she has done over 1600m and 2000m.

O'Brien, who needs eight more Group One winners to break Bobby Frankel's record of 25 in a season, said this month: "The trip is obviously something of an unknown in the Arc and you couldn't be sure she would stay. 

"There's speed on her dam's side but we all know the stamina that Galileo (her sire) inputs, so it's possible she will."

While the master Irish trainer has two Arc trophies on his overladen sideboard, Japan is still searching for its first after a series of near misses.

Their 2017 representative in the race that has become a national obsession is Satono Diamond, who is a 20-1 shot after disappointing in his warm-up the Prix Foy and who will be inconvenienced by soft ground.

The Prix Foy was won by Dschingis Secret, who will appreciate the rain forecast for Chantilly on raceday and has excellent each way claims for his German trainer.

Brametot, winner of the French Derby, is the shortest-priced home hope in the ante-post betting, but at 33-1, Cloth Of Stars makes more appeal.

His trainer Andre Fabre has an unsurpassed record of seven Arc successes and will have the Godolphin-owned four-year-old colt, who has Group One winning form this term, ready to run for his life.

But with the fairer sex annexing six of the last nine Arcs, leading ladies Winter and Enable look set to reduce their male rivals to supporting roles in the race which is due off at 1405 GMT.