3 minute read

Bradsell retained his unbeaten record in 2024 with a comfortable victory in the Group 1 Flying Five at the Curragh on Sunday for trainer Archie Watson and jockey Hollie Doyle.

A Group 1 winner at three, Bradsell missed the first part of the 2024 campaign and has not looked back since - winning in Listed company at Deauville on his belated return before dominating in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

He started favourite for the Curragh contest and justified market support, always prominent under Doyle on the near side. The son of Tasleet hit the front with two furlongs to go and repelled all competition, landing the win by one-and-a-quarter lengths from George Boughey's Believing, who had filled the same position in the Nunthorpe. It was a British 1-2-3 as the Ed Walker-trained Makarova made up ground in the closing stages to finish third.

In an interview with RTE, Watson said: "I was surprised he wasn't favourite for the Nunthorpe and was surprised this morning when there was a bit of negativity about the horse. I thought he was by far the best sprinter around and I hope that he's showing people that he is.

"He's just got so much speed, so much class, he's tough and he's just a pleasure to have anything to do with.

"There are two more obvious races. The Abbaye is one, but I wouldn't want it to be horrible ground or for him to be drawn stupidly high. If he got a good draw on all right ground there you'd say again he'd be very hard to beat.

"Then there is the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar which should be right up his street, a very quick five. One or both of those, all being well, would be the plan."