IT was a fine training performance by John Gosden. Of course, it helps if you have the raw material with which to start, but Gosden has honed Enable’s talent all season, from defeat at the hands of her stable companion Shutter Speed at Newbury at the end of April, through her four Oaks wins and her King George win all the way to Chantilly.

The Nathaniel filly was racing for the seventh time this year on Sunday, once every month from April to August inclusive, twice in July. That’s a lot for an adolescent filly, five races at the highest level, two against older horses, three on easy ground.

It was interesting that Gosden said that it was the filly who told him that she was well enough to run in the Yorkshire Oaks, between the King George and the Arc. That’s all very fine, but the key is to listen to the filly and to be able to interpret what she is telling you. That’s the art part of training.

The Arc wasn’t on her radar initially. She wasn’t even in the race until the Wednesday beforehand. Even so, her trainer was able to have her at concert pitch. She raced as if it had been her primary target all season.

DETTORI DELIVERED

Dettori proved again that he is one of the best big-race riders in the world. It was interesting that he spoke afterwards about the different plans he had in his head, but you suspect that the one that he ultimately implemented was A or B: break fast from stall two, use up a little energy around the outside at the first left-handed turn in order to adopt a prominent position, just behind the leader or leaders, a little towards the outside.

The key was not to get trapped behind horses, determine your own pace, have your throttle and your rudder in your own hands, not in the hands of your rivals.

It was interesting that, when Order Of St George moved up on his outside after a couple of furlongs, Dettori took a pull in order that he could slot in behind the Ballydoyle horse, but he made sure that there was nothing on his outside.

He managed to race just one off the inside rail around the home turn while at the same time ensuring that there was nothing on his outside, that he could make his move when he wanted to, not when he was allowed to.

STRAIGHTFORWARD

It all looked very simple, it all looked straightforward in the end, but that’s what the top riders to, that’s what the top sportspeople do. They make it look like your six-year-old daughter could do it. Enable may have won the Arc on Sunday regardless of what tactics had been employed, she had so much in hand, but her rider maximised her chances of winning it, and that’s another thing that the top riders do.