Naana’s Shadow gave Katie Scott the highlight of her career when landing the Group Three Prix du Petit Covert on Sunday and now has the coveted Prix de l’Abbaye in her sights.
The Havana Grey filly has progressed sharply for her new yard this season, beginning in handicaps off 72. Following victories at big meetings such as York, Goodwood and Epsom, including the 3YO-Dash, she’s now a black type filly.
Naana’s Shadow made all under Tony Piccone, displaying sharp speed. Rayeyka, who was a head second in the King Charles III Stakes, could only manage third.
Following the success, Katie Scott told the Press Association, via At The Races: “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.
“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. 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.”
Prix de l’Abbaye is ‘Plan A’ states Katie Scott
The last British-based trainer to win the Covert was Kevin Ryan with Glass Slipper in 2019, who followed up in the Abbaye. Britain and Ireland have largely dominated the contest of late, and Scott is keen to take her chance.
Scott continued: “She’s got an entry in the Abbaye so that is Plan A. 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. 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,” said Scott. “Stephen McCluskey who runs Summerstorm picked her out at the sale and sent her to us. 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.”