Mecca Team All Set For Abbaye

G1 Nunthorpe S. winner Mecca’s Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) has delighted connections in her final serious workout ahead of her Parisian assignment in next Sunday’s G1 Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp. Her regular rider Paul Mulrennan steered the 4-year-old filly in her gallop and expressed his satisfaction commenting, “She’s in great condition and I’m really looking forward to it. Her coat is great, her weight is good and she was jumping out of her skin.” Her victory at York, where she got the better of Wesley Ward’s Acapulco (Scat Daddy) represented a first at Group 1 level for both Mulrennan and trainer Michael Dods and Dods is hoping the ground does not dry out too much in Paris over the next few days. “As long as it’s good or on the easier side of good she’ll go. It was very soft there yesterday. I know it’s a dryish forecast, but hopefully at this time of year it won’t dry up too much,” said the Yorkshire trainer. “The ground is important and if we didn’t have our ground we wouldn’t be running. She’s had one run at Longchamp and was very impressive. We’re looking forward to it and just hoping she gets her conditions and is drawn in the center,” added Dods.

British trainers have an excellent record in the race and another Yorkshire based trainer going to Paris with high hopes is David O’Meara. He runs defending champion Move In Time (GB) (Monsieur Bond {Ire}) and speaking to The Racing Post O’Meara reported, “He’s probably in better form going into the race than this time last year. He won his trial impressively this time, he’s very fast and very powerful, and just a really good sprinter.”