When Enable’s owner Khalid Abdullah made the hugely sporting decision to allow her to race on this season, a return trip to Paris from her Newmarket base with trainer John Gosden and a bid to regain her Arc title was front and centre.

The connections and fans of the star mare would have been in full anticipation of a grand occasion this Sunday at ParisLongchamp, just as they were 12 months ago. Of course that won’t be the case this time around because although French racing’s governing body had at one stage hoped to have a crowd of 20,000 attend the Arc meeting, it was announced last week there will now be just 1000 allowed to attend with Covid-19 cases rising in Paris once again.

The daughter of Galileo blew away her rivals in the 1000 Guineas and Oaks

However, we look set for a potential classic renewal of Europe’s premier all-aged mile-and-a-half contest because in Aidan O’Brien’s three-year-old filly Love, Enable faces her toughest test this season. The daughter of Galileo blew away her rivals in the 1000 Guineas and Oaks, and indeed scared away connections of Enable from taking her on in the Yorkshire Oaks.

Low key

Enable, who won her third King George at Ascot in July, was instead sent to a low key Group 3 at Kempton for her very likely last start in Britain. That means she will arrive in Paris in peak condition but she must concede 7lbs in an age allowance to her younger rival. That said, the heavy rainfall earlier this week should suit Enable more, who will be bidding to become the first ever triple Arc winner.

At home last weekend, Aidan O’Brien’s juvenile class of 2020 received a shot in the arm when High Definition produced a brilliant late surge to win the Beresford Stakes at the Curragh.

The son of Galileo had plenty to do two furlongs from home but finished his race out strongly to win going away. Remarkably it was O’Brien’s 20th win in the race and his 10th in a row. In recent seasons he has won the race with subsequent top class three-year-olds like Capri and Saxon Warrior so High Definition looks worth following from here.