Jockey Joe Doyle believes conditions could be ideal for Make A Challenge’s Group One glory bid in the Prix de l’Abbaye on Sunday.
The five-year-old is among the leading fancies for Sunday’s race at Longchamp and is likely to get the soft ground he thrives on in Paris.
Doyle, who has yet to taste Group One success, believes Make A Challenge can have a big impact on the race, although the likes of Glass Slippers, who beat him last time out at the Curragh, will provide stern opposition.
He told RTE: “By the sound of things, it is going to be plenty testing (going). (He) would love it to be up to his knees – he’s absolutely exceptional on very soft ground. I don’t think I would swap my lad for anything else in the race if it turns up to be very testing.
“I think he has come on from the last day – perhaps he was getting it a little easy at Listed level and I think the last day (when fifth in a Group One at the Curragh behind Glass Slippers) just sharpened him up. He’s going to have to be sharp – take nothing for granted, it is a massive task in front of him.”
He added: “The horse is in savage order and, if things go right for us, he could run an absolutely massive race.
