ENABLE has a glorious chance of galloping into racing history at Longchamp on Sunday by becoming the first horse to win the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe for a third time.

This outstanding mare, who followed up her 2017 success 12 months ago to join seven other dual winners despite an interrupted preparation, has looked in tremendous form this season winning the Coral-Eclipse, the King George and the Yorkshire Oaks.

A smaller than average field of 12 should help guard against any bad luck which might stand between Enable and horse racing immortality and, in Frankie Dettori, she will have the guidance of a master tactician and a jockey who invariably rises to the big occasion.

On form, it is very difficult to see why the likes of Magical or Waldgeist, neither of whom have beaten the favourite in several clashes, should turn the tables while the promising Ghaiyyath, a wide-margin winner in Germany last time (but well beaten by Waldgeist in the Prix Ganay earlier in the season), and Prix du Jockey Club hero Sottsass surely have to find more improvement for all their potential against a horse of this class.

Juddmonte International winner Japan also needs to find more as the York race has been let down by Elarqam (third) and King Of Comedy (fourth), and his earlier Grand Prix de Paris victory looks modest form for this level.

Meanwhile, the Japanese return to try again in their so-far luckless search for an Arc winner but expectations do not appear too high compared to those that surrounded past runners and near-missers, in particular the incredibly talented Orfevre who threw away almost certain victory in 2012 and then went down by five lengths to Treve a year later.

It’s possible there may be some value in Waldgeist each-way as he wasn't beaten so far in the King George (closing on Enable and Crystal Ocean late on) and didn't enjoy the best of runs when fourth here last year. The likely cut in the ground may not be ideal, but the ratings show that Andre Fabre's colt is an improved performer this season and he was certainly impressive in his trial, the Prix Foy.

Otherwise, unless you're a big player at short odds, for most punters this will be a race to watch and enjoy with the hope for a result that will see the thousands of British racegoers travelling over to Paris this weekend returning home with a song in their hearts.