Scott planning Abbaye bid for Naana’s Shadow

Katie Scott praised her whole team for the remarkable improvement shown by Naana’s Shadow, who took her form to a new level in France on Sunday and now has the Prix de l’Abbaye in her sights.

Bought for just 20,000 guineas by Stephen McCluskey of Summerstorm Bloodstock having won just a Wolverhampton novice event for Alice Haynes in October, Scott has overseen a rise in the ratings from 72 into three figures and beyond.

Winner of the 3YO “Dash” at Epsom on Oaks day, she has since landed similarly valuable handicap prizes at York and at Goodwood, but her weekend victory in the Group Three Prix du Petit Couvert makes her a very valuable commodity for when she heads to her second career.

“It was a fantastic day, the whole season has been a dream with her to be honest, she’s taken us to all the big meetings and to get our first Pattern win yesterday was amazing,” said Scott.

“She’s obviously a very valuable filly now as she’s well bred, both as a broodmare and as a racehorse.

“When she won at Catterick in April we started thinking the 3YO “Dash” at Epsom and when we pulled that off we thought ‘job done’. Obviously she has just kept going after that.

“Oisin Murphy rode her at Epsom and he said she did it very well and was still improving and she’s done exactly that.”

Scott is now planning a return to ParisLongchamp for a tilt at Group One glory on Arc weekend.

She added: “She’s got an entry in the Abbaye so that is Plan A and if she comes home all right from this she’ll be back there in three weeks’ time.

“You just never know when a filly will stop improving. Once she’s run in the Abbaye she’ll have a holiday and at the moment the plan is for her to stay in training – but depending on how the Abbaye goes, she might become too valuable to continue with.

“The owners have been fantastic, Stephen McCluskey who runs Summerstorm picked her out at the sale and sent her to us and obviously our team have done a very good job with her, but if you don’t have the horse to work with you can’t do it.”