By Tom Frary
Capping her career in style, Brightwalton Bloodstock's Makarova (GB) (Acclamation {GB}–Vesnina {GB}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}) signed off with a gallant success in Sunday's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines. Having shown how much she relishes a slow surface when taking the G3 Sandown Sprint Stakes in July, the Ed Walker-trained 5-year-old from an esteemed Cheveley Park family had put up an ideal prep when third behind Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) in last month's G1 Flying Five at The Curragh but still traded at an inflated and overly-generous 22-1 for this five-furlong test.
Chasing the pace under regular rider Tom Marquand, Jeff and Phoebe Hobby's homebred who had been sixth in this 12 months ago grafted her way past that rival inside the final furlong before asserting for a 1 1/4-length success from the 7-5 favourite. Believing (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) was again second fiddle to the runner-up, a head behind this time in third. “That was the last run of her career and it's pretty special,” Walker said. “The rain came at the right time and it's a big day. She was hopeless at two, but has just got better and better and I'm delighted for the breeders–they put a lot into the game and it's a dream for them.”
Going out on a high! Makarova and @TomMarquand land the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines at @paris_longchamp for @edwalkerracing… pic.twitter.com/QPB9yCDbhh
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 6, 2024
Makarova, whose black-type debut had come in the 2022 Listed Boadicea Stakes and whose first win in that bracket came in Ayr's Listed Land O'Burns Fillies' Stakes the following June, had begun to grow in stature late last summer and followed a fourth in the G1 Nunthorpe Stakes with a solid effort beaten under two lengths by Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) in this from an unfavourable stall 17. Second in the course-and-distance G3 Prix de Saint-Georges in May, she followed her Sandown Sprint success with an unlucky third to Believing in The Curragh's G2 Sapphire Stakes before finding the ground too lively returning to York for the Nunthorpe and when filling the frame in the Flying Five.
“She's the forgotten filly, she was only rated 105 by the British handicapper and that's listed level but she was group 1-placed, group 2-placed and a group 3 winner,” Walker added. “She's always been slightly underestimated and is always a big price. She's always been the underdog, but she's very consistent and doesn't do a lot wrong, especially when she gets conditions like this. Jeff and I will discuss it, but she owes us nothing, so that was the last roll of the dice. Everything came right, so I think that will probably be it.”
Bradsell's trainer Archie Watson said of the leading sprinter, whose run came to an end but who lost nothing in defeat, “Hollie just felt whilst he went well enough on the ground to beat the others, he was a bit vulnerable late to a closer. I couldn't be happier with him, he's run a massive race. I've always thought the turning, quick five furlongs of the Breeders' Cup would really suit. We'll get him home and see if we're happy with him, that'll be the plan as long as everyone's happy. This just shows how tough he is, it's been incredible to have a horse like him and hopefully he'll go to the States and do it over there.”
Jockey Billy Loughnane said of Believing, “The race was incredibly tough and she ran really well, but she wasn't travelling fast enough and got a bit outpaced. She's capable of handling soft ground, but on good ground she's even better. She's a star, a wonderful mare.”
Pedigree Notes
Like the card's G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Camille Pissarro, Makarova is out of one of Cheveley Park Stud's mares, this time the G3 Dick Poole Stakes fourth Vesnina (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Just as Entreat (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) was sold at the Tattersalls July Sale, so was Vesnina who went to Brightwalton for only 68,000gns in 2015 before producing the G3 Prix Eclipse runner-up Nina Bailarina (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).
Vesnina is a granddaughter of the four-times group 1-winning European champion and 1,000 Guineas heroine Russian Rhythm (Kingmambo), who is also the second dam of the group winners Potapova (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Marenko (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), Zonderland (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), Spangled (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), Bashkirova (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and Good Guess (GB) (Kodiac {GB}), with the latter the winner of the G1 Prix Jean Prat. Vesnina's once-raced 2-year-old filly Zharova (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is in training with Paddy Twomey having been purchased by Moyglare Stud for 140,000gns, while she also has a yearling filly by Cracksman (GB) and a filly foal by Night Of Thunder (Ire).
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
QATAR PRIX DE L'ABBAYE DE LONGCHAMP LONGINES-G1, €350,000, ParisLongchamp, 10-6, 2yo/up, 5fT, :56.33, vsf.
1–MAKAROVA (GB), 133, m, 5, by Acclamation (GB)
1st Dam: Vesnina (GB), by Sea The Stars (Ire)
2nd Dam: Safina (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
3rd Dam: Russian Rhythm, by Kingmambo
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-Brightwalton Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Ed Walker; J-Tom Marquand. €199,990. Lifetime Record: GSW-End, 28-5-6-4, €478,117. *1/2 to Nina Bailarina (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), GSP-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Bradsell (GB), 136, c, 4, Tasleet (GB)–Russian Punch (GB), by Archipenko. TDN Rising Star. (12,000gns Ylg '21 TATSOM; €47,000 2yo '22 GOFTY). O-Victorious Racing; B-Mrs D O'Brien (GB); T-Archie Watson. €80,010.
3–Believing (Ire), 133, f, 4, Mehmas (Ire)–Misfortunate (Ire), by Kodiac (GB). (70,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT; 115,000gns 2yo '22 TATBRE). O-Highclere Thoroughbred Racing (Jane Addams); B-M Mullen & Cloneymore Farm (IRE); T-George Boughey. €40,005.
Margins: 1 1/4, HD, 1 1/4. Odds: 21.90, 1.40, 5.70.
Also Ran: Desperate Hero (GB), No Half Measures (GB), Kerdos (Ire), Washington Heights (GB), Rogue Lightning (Ire), Starlust (GB), Aesop's Fables (Ire), Grand Grey (Ire), Englemere (Ire), La Bellota (Ire), Mgheera (GB), Moss Tucker (Ire), Batwan (Fr).
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