Bradsell to sign off after Breeders’ Cup bid

Stallion career awaits top sprinter at the National Stud.

Hollie Doyle hailed the “unreal” Bradsell after news he is to bow out following his run at the Breeders’ Cup to commence stallion duties at the National Stud in Newmarket.

Trained by Archie Watson, Doyle has been in the saddle for all but one of Bradell’s career outings, aboard the son of Tasleet for both of his Royal Ascot victories and his phenomenal Nunthorpe Stakes performance earlier this season.

Owned by Victorious Racing, Bradsell has registered big-race wins in all three of his seasons in training, scooping the Coventry Stakes as a juvenile before returned to the Royal meeting 12 months later to edge out John Quinn’s Highfield Princess and claim the King’s Stand Stakes.

Bradsell after winning at the Curragh
Bradsell after winning at the Curragh (Niall Carson/PA)

An injury suffered earlier in the year when preparing for a valuable sprint assignment in Dubai threatened to curtail the career of the star sprinter, but he was been expertly nurtured back to his very best by Watson and his team, proving better than ever once returning this summer.

An impressive comeback victory in France teed up his Nunthorpe tilt, where he blitzed the opposition with a devastating display on the Knavesmire before marching on to the Curragh to secure further Group One honours in the Flying Five Stakes.

“He’s been an unreal horse and he’s won races like the Coventry, King’s Stand an Nunthorpe, he’s just been unreal,” said Doyle.

“It was a great training performance from Archie and what he has done this year has been a complete bonus.

“It will be sad to see him go, but he owes no one anything and I hope he has a fantastic career as a stallion.”

Bradsell narrowly missed out on a Group One hat-trick when second in the Prix de l’Abbaye earlier this month and the four-year-old is scheduled to make the final start of his career at Del Mar early next month in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

Watson said: “Bradsell has so much speed, so much class and is so tough. He is a pleasure to do anything with and is just so good over five (furlongs). If he puts an ounce of that into his stock, I’m looking forward to training them.”

Bradsell winning at Royal Ascot
Bradsell winning at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA)

Oliver St Lawrence, racing manager to Victorious Racing, added: “Bradsell has been an exceptional flagbearer for Shaikh Nasser, winning every top sprint race and showing his incredible toughness, tenacity and sheer will to win. The Shaikh is looking forward to supporting him with mares at stud and in the sales ring in the future.”

Bradsell will join the likes of former champion stayer Stradivarius and Time Test at the National Stud, who are looking forward to welcoming their new arrival.

National Stud CEO Anna Kerr said: “We are delighted to welcome Bradsell to the National Stud and stand him in partnership with Shaikh Nasser’s Victorious Racing.

“He is the standout sprinter of recent years with a great physical. We are looking forward to presenting him to breeders at the December sales.”

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