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Archie Watson’s top-class sprinter will head to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint after being pegged back late on in the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp on Sunday.
The 2022 Coventry Stakes winner landed the King's Stand Stakes in great style at Royal Ascot last year before finishing third in the Nunthorpe and Flying Five at the Curragh.
Injury forced him to miss the beginning of his four-year-old campaign, but having been expertly nursed back to form by trainer Archie Watson, the son of Tasleet has quickly started to make up for lost time.
A comfortable winner at Deauville in August on his return from an eleven-month absence, Bradsell instantly proved he had what it took to mix it with the very best sprinters when landing the Nunthorpe Stakes at York later that month. Further Group 1 success would beckon when Archie Watson's charge ran out a commanding winner of the Flying Five Stakes last month, setting up a tilt at France's premier sprint, the Prix de l'Abbaye.
With history dictating that those drawn low hold a distinct advantage, Bradsell was already handed a slight drawback by being posted in stall nine and although he struck the front with a furlong and a half to travel, he couldn't keep up the gallop on testing conditions.
Ed Walker's Makarova swept to the front late on to prevail by one and three-quarter lengths on what would appear to be her swansong but with the Bradsell team keen to roll the dice once more this season, Archie Watson's sprinter now looks set to take on America's finest turf sprinters in the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar next month.
"I was delighted, you want to win them all, but he ran a huge race, and I only think he enhanced his reputation," said Watson on Sky Sports Racing. "It was his first time on that sort of ground, and he travelled probably best of all on it, but he just had to work that little bit harder, and it blunted that speed he shows."
"We couldn't be happier with our lad, and he's come out of the race all good."
A trip to the Breeders' Cup is now firmly on the cards, with Watson adding: "We shouldn't have the weather issues over there and the plan will be the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. This year there is a very good American turf sprinter called Cogburn so it should be a great race, and fingers crossed we can get there and do it for Europe!"
Bradsell won't be travelling Stateside alone with Archie Watson also revealing his two-year-old Aesterius will head to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, for which he is a general 5/1 shot.
Watson added: "Between him (Aesterius) and Bradsell they'll be the two best chances that we take to that meeting. He's done nothing wrong; he won the Prix d'Arenberg and the Flying Childers and I think he's the best five-furlong two-year-old around in Europe. Hopefully, we can prove that over there as well."
