Bradsell and Hollie Doyle win the Bar One Racing Flying Five Stakes© Photo Healy Racing
Archie Watson’s Bradsell and Hollie Doyle will have to overcome stall nine if they are to make it a Group One hat-trick in Sunday’s Prix de l’Abbaye.
The UK and Irish raiders have a fantastic record in the Group One sprint over five furlongs, but the race has not always gone to the fancied runners.
Part of the reason for that is down to the draw, although the likes of Move In Time, Marsha, Mabs Cross and Highfield Princess last year have all defied a double-figure stall in the past 10 years.
“We’d have liked to have been a little bit closer to the rail but I don’t think it stops us, we’re happy to run,” said Oliver St Lawrence, racing manager to Bradsell’s owners, Victorious Racing.
“It would have been better to have been two or three closer to the rail, but there’s no excuses.
“Highfield Princess, Mabs Cross, Move In Time, Tangerine Trees – they’ve all won from double-figure stalls so it’s not impossible so we march on.”
Winner of the Coventry Stakes two years ago, injury threatened to finish Bradsell’s career. But he has been brought back expertly this season to be unbeaten, including two defeats of George Boughey’s Believing in the Nunthorpe and the Flying Five at the Curragh.
“Believing has a nice draw, which is good, so we can hopefully settle that argument in everyone’s minds!” Lawrence continued.
“They’ve emerged as the top two around, the only other around is Lazzat who won the Maurice de Gheest and he’s heading for the Golden Eagle in Australia, I believe. Hopefully all will be revealed and the rain stays away.
“I think next year will depend on how he runs over the next short while, but I think he will probably retire. Archie and the team have done an amazing job to get him back and it is testament to the horse himself.”
The team behind Believing have been thankful of the journey they have been on with their filly and are hoping she can go out on a high for them, with the sales beckoning.
Harry Herbert, racing manager for her syndicate, Highclere Racing, said: “We’ve got the better draw this time, but neither of us have got the ground really. At least we are inside him.
“There’s not much between them in what we’ve seen the last twice.
“I’ve actually been looking back at the race she ran on Champions Day last year and she travelled so well until the furlong marker and didn’t get home over six.
“She has won on soft ground in Chantilly so we’ll just have to take it as it comes. This is her last race anyway before she heads to the December sales.”
He went on: “She’s in very good form, has travelled over there really well and she doesn’t owe us anything. She’s just been the most phenomenal filly and incredible for the syndicate – most of them will be over there to see her race for the last time for them.
“She’s been remarkable as a syndicate horse, these are such rare items. To race as much as she does, placed in the first four in five Group Ones and second in two, it’s extraordinary so it would be incredible if she could bow out – for us anyway – with a Group One win.”
As ever there is a strong UK and Irish challenge with Richard Hughes’ improving No Half Measures the mount of Oisin Murphy, and Ryan Moore on Aesop’s Fables for Aidan O’Brien.
There are two juveniles in receipt of plenty of weight – John Ryan’s Mill Reef runner-up La Bellota and Boughey’s filly Englemere, while Tom Clover has fitted Rogue Lightning with first-time blinkers having finished just over a length behind Highfield Princess last year.
Richard Brown, of owners Wathnan Racing, said: “This seems to be the time of year where he thrives and it was his best run of the year when he was just beaten in the Group Three over track and trip a few weeks ago. We hope he will have an each-way chance.”
