ENABLE enhanced her credentials as the best middle-distance horse in training with a decisive front-running success in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks at York.

Despite sweating up beforehand, there was never an anxious moment in the race itself for supporters of the 1/4 favourite, as she made it Group 1 win number four for the season in devastating fashion.

Quickly out of the stalls, the John Gosden-trained three-year-old was soon into an early lead she was to maintain all the way to the line in the mile-and-a-half contest.

Winding the tempo up early on down the home straight, the first-crop daughter of Nathaniel continued to lengthen in impressive fashion for Frankie Dettori, as each of her rivals began to feel the pinch.

Pressing on relentlessly, the odds-on market leader crossed the line five lengths clear of stablemate Coronet, to add to her wins in the English and Irish Oaks and last time out in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Enable was immediately cut to even money by Paddy Power for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Gosden said: "She got a little bit lonely (in front), but she's done it beautifully. It's proved she can do it from the front as well.

"She's somewhat special. I think at a mile and a half she is the best filly I've ever trained, she's exceptional and able to do it both ways, from the front and off the pace. She'll go to the Arc."

Dettori said: "I must say she got a bit bored in the end. I pushed her out, but I felt I had something left if someone had come to her. If you try and keep with her, they will break their lungs and that's why she wins by five lengths.

"I had to stretch her out and she likes to have a fight on her hands – unfortunately today there was no fight and we had to do our own thing.

"I don't like to say until the Arc (whether best horse ridden), so far she is doing everything the right way and would be one of the best.

"She goes there (Arc) with a favourite's chance and with the weight allowance. She has won four Group 1s in a row by five lengths and you can't ask for more than that."

Gosden added: "I left the tactics up to Frankie. She pricked her ears out in front, but she just got lonely near the end and was just looking for some company. It's not her favourite way of running, but she can do that.

"We had a lot to lose coming here – you all remember a horse called Taghrooda – but we let her use her stride and she has gone and won by five lengths and she can't do any more.

"The timing between this and the Arc is lovely. What else were we going to do? We've now got seven weeks and while we will let her down we will keep her cantering because she is so well she dropped Frankie the other morning.

"We don't need to run her in the Prix Vermeille, but the second might go there, along with Journey. Coronet got lost in Ireland and didn't enjoy herself, but that was much more like it."

Ken Condon's Mamba Noire was a good third in Group 2 York's Sky Bet Lowther Stakes as Threading took a step up in class in her stride with a stylish success.

The Irish filly made the frame in the Newmarket Group 2 won by Clemmie and was bouncing back after a no-show in the Sweet Solera Stakes back on the July Course.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained Actress was backed down to 100/30 favouritism but, after racing prominently, faded disappointingly out of contention.

Having seen Dee Ex Bee turned over at a short price in the Acomb Stakes 24 hours earlier, trainer Mark Johnston had the smile put back on his face as Threading justified her £15,000 supplementary fee in landing the six-furlong contest.

Eased into the race by James Doyle, the 9/2 winner sailed past American hope Happy Like A Fool approaching the final furlong, before crossing the line a length and three-quarters clear from Madeline, to make it two from two following her debut success at Goodwood. Mamba Noire was a further three-quarters of a length back.

Threading was introduced at 12/1 for next year's Qipco 1000 Guineas by Paddy Power, with Betfair going 14/1.

Doyle said: "It's a bit early to tell if she is a Guineas filly. She is showing all the right signs and she was very impressive in deep ground at Goodwood. I rode one yesterday that was an impressive winner there and he flopped so it is hard to tell how much it quite takes out of them.

"She seems to have come on nicely from that run. I was always comfortable there. I didn't want to give Frankie (Dettori, on Happy Like A Fool) too much rope, I got there a touch early but she is a typical one of Mark Johnston's and she toughed it out well.

"She rides like an older horse, to be honest, she is very push-button. She jumped well, sat a couple of lengths off the pace, eased into it well and knuckled down well late on. She is very professional."

Johnston said: "We came here not knowing a lot about her but, at the same time, we wouldn't have supplemented her if we thought she wasn't good enough. It was only six days ago we decided to take the plunge, and thank goodness we did.

"I could see all the way she was travelling well and I could see she was the only one who really had the leader in her sights. She's a lovely, straightforward horse and has done nothing but please us from day one. She pulled away at the finish and that bodes well for the future.

"You'd start thinking about the Cheveley Park after that, but nothing has been discussed, there's no plan. She won on soft at Goodwood and she's won on soft again, but it would be wrong to pigeon-hole her and it would be very interesting to see her run on better ground. I'd love to see what difference it makes to her."

"She stayed the trip very well and the Guineas would be in our minds. That's the dream for the moment."