Enable wins record third King George at Ascot under Frankie Dettori

Enable has completed a record third King George triumph at Ascot.

The mare - ridden by Frankie Dettori and trained by John Gosden - finished five-and-a-half lengths in front of Sovereign with the only other runner, Japan, a further 11 lengths back.

William Buick on Sovereign set the pace but six-year-old Enable, the King George's oldest winner since Swain in 1998, reeled in the early leader.

"She trained beautifully for this race and is back in top order," Gosden said.

"We are thrilled with her and I was expecting to see that."

Japan, with Ryan Moore on board, had stalked Enable for the majority of the race but could not sustain the pace in the wet conditions and finished well back.

An emotional Dettori, who timed his attack perfectly to overhaul a tiring Sovereign in the home straight, said: "She's so consistent. She made it look so easy.

"She's six, she's not a spring chicken, so to put on a performance like that is great.

"I love her, she's touched my heart."

It is a record-equalling seventh King George win for 49-year-old Dettori - 25 years after his first - in what was the event's smallest field since it was first staged in 1951.

Enable's bid to make history was made easier the day before the race when trainer Aidan O'Brien withdrew Anthony Van Dyck and opted to run Japan and Sovereign against the favourite.

Enable, who has now won 11 Group One level races, is the 11-4 favourite to make further history with a third win in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October.