Bradsell to Retire to The National Stud after Breeders' Cup Swansong

Bradsell | Megan Ridgwell

Top-class sprinter Bradsell (GB) will retire to the National Stud following his tilt at the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar on Saturday, November 2.

Trained by Archie Watson for Shaikh Nasser's Victorious Racing, Bradsell heads to the Breeders' Cup as the winner of six of his 12 career starts, with three of his victories coming at the top level. In 2024, he added wins in the Nunthorpe Stakes and Flying Five Stakes to his King's Stand Stakes success as a three-year-old. That was the second year in a row that he'd struck at Royal Ascot, having also won the Coventry Stakes at two.

Bred by Deborah O'Brien, Bradsell is out of the Listed-winning Archipenko mare Russian Punch (GB). He first sold for 12,000gns at the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale and was later bought by Blandford Bloodstock for £47,000 at the Goffs UK Doncaster Breeze-up Sale before his private purchase by Shaikh Nasser following his impressive maiden victory.

“We are delighted to welcome Bradsell to the National Stud and stand him in partnership with Shaikh Nasser's Victorious Racing,” said National Stud CEO Anna Kerr. “He is the standout sprinter of recent years with a great [physique]. We are looking forward to presenting him to breeders at the December Sales.”

Oliver St Lawrence, racing manager to Victorious Racing, said, “Bradsell has been an exceptional flag bearer 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.”

The son of Tasleet (GB) has been a flagbearer for Watson, who 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. If he puts an ounce of that into his stock, I'm looking forward to training them.”

A fee for Bradsell will be announced after the Breeders' Cup.

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