€350,000 Abbaye de Longchamp Longines (gr1): Last word for Makarova

ParisLongchamp, France – October 6, 2024 – Always travelling well behind the leaders of the €350,000 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp (Gr1), the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Gr1)'s meeting sprint, the 5-year-old mare Makarova (Acclamation) made the difference at the right moment and then stayed on to score a good length ahead of the favourite Bradsell (Tasleet), who narrowly held off the strong finish of Believing (Mehmas) for second place.

Sixth last year in this same race, Makarova has been regularly placed since then, notably finishing recently in the Flying Five Stakes (Gr1), where the trio was the same as in this race, only the order of finish of the first three changing.

The mare was purchased for €400,000 at the Mayfair Stud Farm yearling sales last year.

What connections said:

Ed Walker – the trainer of Makarova (1st) - Britain

«Makarova was underestimated by the handicappers who have rated her 105. Yet she had won a Group 3 race and and had placed at Group 1 level. All the planets were aligned. The race came at the right time for her. As she was in top form. The softer ground helped her a lot and perhaps hindered Bradsell a little. She deserved this victory. »

Tom Marquand – the jockey of Makarova (1st) - Britain

« Makarova got off to a good start. We were always close to the pace. We raced in the slipstream of Brasdell. I was pretty confident going to the last 300 metres. »

Jeffrey Hobby – the owner-breeder of Makarova (1st)

 « Makarova is a mare who has often been underestimated. After the rains came this morning, we were fairly confident. We knew it wasn't going to be so easy for Bradsell on this ground. This victory is a very emotional one. I think this could have been her last race. »

Archie Watson – the trainer of Bradsell (2nd) - Britain

«Bradsell really ran a great race despite the ground. Perhaps, on a sounder surface, he could have forged a bigger lead. He will now head to the Breeders' Cup in the United States. »

Billy Loughnane – the rider of Believing (3rd) - Britain

« 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. »