Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp
Group 1, ParisLongchamp 14:05
£312,500 guaranteed,
2yo plus,
Class 1, 4f 213y    
Sunday 6th October 2024

FormRatings

1 Makarova 219/10
2 Bradsell 7/5F
3 Believing 57/10
16 ran Distances: 1¼l, hd, 1¼l
Time: 56.33s (slow by 1.03s)

The Brightwalton Bloodstock homebred completes a Group 1 double on the card for  Sea The Stars as a broodmare sire, being out of the winning Vesnina.

Ridden by Tom Marquand and trained by Ed Walker, Makarova was settled in the chasing pack as favourite Bradsell and Desperate Hero traded blows at the front end of the five-furlong sprint.

It looked as though Bradsell might seal another Group One triumph entering the final furlong, but Makarova was making ground down the outside and swept through to win going away.

Bradsell just held on for second from the fast-finishing Believing, with Desperate Hero fourth and No Half Measures fifth, with all the runners hailing from British stables.

She’s the forgotten filly, Makarova, she’s only rated 105 by the British handicapper and that’s Listed level – but she’s Group One-placed, Group Two-placed and a Group Three winner,” said Walker.

“She’s always been slightly underestimated by the punters, she’s always a big price. Having finished third in a Group One last time out she was 16-1 today.

“She’s always been the underdog but she’s very consistent, she doesn’t do a lot wrong, especially when she gets conditions like this.

“We were a lot more confident in our camp than the odds would have suggested, she put in a career-best effort last time and probably upped it again today.

“That is the last run of her career, I’m pretty confident. Jeff (Hobby, owner) and I will discuss it but she owes us nothing, that was the last roll of the dice.

“Everything came right so I think that will probably be it.”

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Marquand said: “Everything went perfect on her. To be frank, as soon as I tacked onto the back of Bradsell, she began to travel.

“I knew we were live, they hadn’t gone that quick so it was just whether we had that bit of speed but I think that ground was probably slow enough to take the sting out of them and let her stamina come into play.

“I’m just thrilled for the owners as she is obviously homebred and Ed has had her from day one as well – it’s brilliant. Everything came together beautifully today and it’s seemed to the last couple of weeks.

“Whenever someone has said a horse is going to retire, they come out and win. I’m thrilled for them.”

Of defeating Bradsell, and therefore relegating his wife, fellow jockey Hollie Doyle, into second place, Marquand added: “They’ve clashed loads of times, it’s the inevitability of us both being fortunate enough to ride in Group Ones.

“Unfortunately there can only be one winner of every race. It’s part of the job and whilst I’m sure she’ll be disappointed Bradsell hasn’t won, she’ll be pleased too for me.”

Doyle, who has ridden Bradsell in all but one of his starts, said: “He’s run a huge race, jumped, travelled, I got to where I wanted to be.

“It just probably blunted his turn of foot (the going), when I push the button on quick ground he’s away.

“I had to fight hard to get past the two on my inside, had those covered and got away from them and then unfortunately a mudlark has come for me late. I thought it was a great performance considering.”

Billy Loughnane partnered the George Boughey-trained Believing and he felt the ground may have gone against her.

He said: “The race was incredibly tough. Believing ran really well after a good start. But she wasn’t travelling fast enough and so she got a bit outpaced. So we lost ground.

“She’s capable of handling soft ground, but, on good ground, she’s even better. She’s a star, a wonderful mare.”

BetZone

Prix De L'Abbaye De Longchamp (Group 1)
£312,500 guaranteed, 2yo plus, 5f, Class 1
16 ran
Going: Soft

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (8)    Makarova 5 9-7 Ed Walker Tom Marquand 1 219/10
2 (9) 1¼ Bradsell 4 9-11 Archie Watson Hollie Doyle 7/5F
3 (5) hd Believing 4 9-7 George Boughey Billy Loughnane 57/10
4 (6) 1¼ Desperate Hero 4 9-11 Jack Channon Callum Rodriguez 34/1
5 (12) shd No Half Measures 3 9-7 Richard Hughes Oisin Murphy 15/1
6 (3) 1½ Kerdos 4 9-11 Clive Cox Richard Kingscote 78/10
7 (4) nk Washington Heights 4 9-11 Kevin Ryan Tom Eaves 45/1
8 (14) ½ Rogue Lightning 4 9-11 Tom Clover James Doyle 33/1
9 (2) 1½ Starlust 3 9-11 Ralph Beckett Rossa Ryan 69/10
10 (15) 1½ Aesop's Fables 4 9-11 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 20/1
11 (1) shd Grand Grey 3 9-11 Gianluca Bietolini Cristian Demuro 24/1
12 (10) ¾ Englemere 2 8-4 George Boughey Luke Morris 19/1
13 (11) ½ La Bellota 2 8-7 John Ryan Darragh Keenan 58/1
14 (16) 2 Mgheera 4 9-7 Mme Manon Scandella-Lacaille Guillaume Millet 51/1
15 (13) 1¼ Moss Tucker 6 9-11 K J Condon W J Lee 51/1
16 (7) 1 Batwan 9 9-11 N Caullery Stephane Pasquie 71/1r

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