'It's just another level' - Abbaye success kickstarts a famous week for Brightwalton Stud

There has been no time for Jeff Hobby to reflect on the unforgettable moment of his homebred mare Makarova clinching last Sunday’s Prix de l’Abbaye, mainly because his week has somehow managed to become even better.

Twenty-four hours later it was the turn of Fernando, the first foal out of Makarova’s half-sister Nina Bailarina, to win at Yarmouth and on Wednesday Hobby’s Brightwalton Stud received 750,000gns from Godolphin for an unrelated Lope De Vega colt at Tattersalls Book 1.

Then on Saturday it will be the turn of Vicario, who seeks a first Listed win in the Perfect Power British EBF Boadicea Stakes at Newmarket, the very same event in which her newly crowned Group 1 sibling was second in two years ago at the beginning of her ascent to the top.

"I had this mad project of buying a farm, a raw piece of land, and building a whole stud farm from scratch from the buildings, the fencing, hedging, trees, the whole thing, about 15 years ago," said Hobby. "I started buying some mares and we’ve got a few, but not at this level."

It was in 2015 that the farm acquired Makarova’s dam, Vesnina, from Cheveley Park Stud for 68,000gns at the Tattersalls July Sale.

Makarova and Tom Marquand land last Sunday's Prix de l'Abbaye at LongchampCredit: Alan Crowhurst

"I liked her because [granddam] Russian Rhythm was a fabulous racemare and I suppose it’s the Tesio theory that it often skips a generation," said Hobby.

"The best of Russian Rhythm's daughters was Safina, who was placed in a Listed race and this was her first foal. Vesnina was fourth in the Dick Poole at two and for a Sea The Stars to do that I thought was quite impressive. She’s small but her foals have been a good size. Sea The Stars is a god, isn’t he, and she has just repaid us in spades."

Makarova, who is by Acclamation, has been campaigned in stakes company by Ed Walker ever since she was beaten by the smart Azure Blue in that Boadicea Stakes. She took the Group 3 Coral Charge at Sandown and a Group 1 was not achieved for the lack of trying, following last month's auspicious third to Bradsell in the Flying Five Stakes.

"We thought she deserved her day," said Hobby. "Ed and I had a flat in Paris together, we came back from dinner the night before the race looking at the rain and going, 'This is good news'. On the morning, neither of us were saying it but we both thought we could do it. 

"Matt Coleman bought the mare, he helps me a lot, and Tom Blain [Barton Stud] is another good friend and adviser. It’s a dream."

Hobby has not had second thoughts about the Abbaye being Makarova’s swansong – "she's done her stuff" – and imagines some "fairly obvious ideas" about the first stallion she will visit. The operation just outside Lambourn is not short of successors and he is being similarly ambitious with Nina Bailarina, who was only just beaten in the Group 3 Prix Eclipse as a two-year-old but demonstrated a few quirks during her racing journey.

"I’ve got loads of daughters," he said. "The mare has had only fillies. I sold a Shalaa back to Cheveley Park and a Kingman [Zharova] to Moyglare. I’ve then got two more fillies on the ground, a Cracksman yearling and a Night Of Thunder foal, as well as a Night Of Thunder filly foal out of Nina."

Brightwalton Stud's Vicario, who heads to Newmarket this weekend, was a winner at Haydock in AugustCredit: Grossick Racing Photgraphy

The open and approachable Hobby, who runs Brightwalton with his wife Phoebe, grew up on a stud farm nearby before starting his working life in the real world, in property. Bloodstock is plainly his overriding passion and he derives great pleasure from racing the fillies they breed, aligned with the commercial imperative of developing his families. 

There was an early triumph with Maid Up, who gained compensation for an agonising defeat in the Lillie Langtry Stakes by winning the Group 3 March Stakes at Goodwood in 2018. The Mastercraftsman mare has been another helpful member of the broodmare squad and will no doubt be joined by Sea Of Thieves, a Listed winner in France this year.

Hobby said: "When you breed and own and race these fillies, they’re your babies. It’s just another level.

"The accolades; everyone is so lovely and kind about it and it makes you feel that actually, you’ve made it really. To win a Group 1 on Arc day, the Abbaye, it’s pretty cool isn’t it?"

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