Kerry Lee: I'm firmly behind Enable in the Arc

In the first edition of her new regular feature on HorseRacing.net, Welsh National-winning trainer Kerry Lee gives her views on the hot topics in racing at the moment, as Enable bids for an historic third win in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris at the weekend. 

I'll certainly be calling for a statue of Enable if she becomes the first horse the win the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe three times. 

I think Arc fever has gripped racing this week, fuelled by the superstar mare. It would be her 11th career Group 1 success - a tally that surpasses even that of the mighty Frankel. 

I was lucky enough to be at York for her UK swan song in the Yorkshire Oaks, and I was delighted to see her literally scoot clear of Magical. It's going to be a massive undertaking for Enable, but nothing would make me happier on Sunday than to see her win. 

The main opposition looks likely to come from the Coolmore contingent; in the form of the International Stakes winner Japan, and Enable's old foe Magical. Both command plenty of respect, and it will be interesting to see which horse Ryan Moore opts to ride.

Meanwhile, it was bold talk in the Racing Post about Ghaiyyath from jockey William Buick. He's got to be respected after a 14-length win in Germany last time out, though Godolphin haven't won the Arc since 2002...my first visit to Lonchamp was to see Sakhee win in 2001, partnered by the master himself. 

Frankie already has six Arc wins to his name - could this be the magnificent seventh?

Longchamp always features an International angle, and there are some British raiders to take note of in the supporting races. Mabs Cross and Battaash line up again in the Prix de l'Abbaye – the duo who were first and fourth respectively in this last year. I’ll be siding with Battaash this time around, but either way, an English-trained winner would be a huge celebration.

Closer to home, there are many trainers up in arms about the closure of Towcester Racecourse.  We had a lot of runners there over the years, and it really is a travesty.  

The day AP McCoy rode his 4000th winner at the track my father trained Kris Spin, who finished second to Mountain Tunes – what a claim to fame!!

From a training perspective, it always really saddens me to see racecourses closing or going out of business.  It can massively affect you as a yard when a racecourse that's local to you closes down - as we experienced when Hereford was out of action. 

When racing is local to you it makes a big difference, as it reduces travel time, and brings people to your yard; either jockeys riding out before racing, or owners who pay a visit before heading to the track. 

I often consider how lucky we are to have Hereford back in action, and the track is going from strength to strength under the watchful eye of Managing Director, Rebecca Davies. The first meeting of the season is now less than a fortnight away, on 15 October, and I'm looking forward to visiting the track again this season.

On the flip side to the Towcester news, it's great to see the news that Chester Race Company will take on the running of Musselburgh.

I've always been a fan of Bangor Racecourse, one of my local Jumps tracks, and if they run it with anything like the professionalism that they run both Chester and Bangor, it will prove to be a rip-roaring success.