Looking Back 38) Majadou

 
                      Majadou

Majadou has the accolade of being A P McCoy’s 1000^th winner in Britain and he is a Cheltenham Festival winner.  Owned by the Batterham family, he was a 1994 born son of Cadoudal and his dam was Majathen.  He began his career in France with Guy Cherel and his racecourse debut was over hurdles at Toulouse in October 1997.  He was beaten a distance but improved on this markedly to finish third next time out.

He won on his third start at Auteuil in March 1998, a hurdle race over 2m 1½f.  He was placed third after this and then had a couple of disappointing efforts after that before being purchased privately and coming to Pond House.  He arrived in May that year and made his British debut in a novice chase at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day 1999.  He was the very easy winner with A P McCoy in the saddle.  He went onto win his first four starts in this country and after two wins at Lingfield, the fourth of these was in the Mildmay of Flete handicap chase at the Cheltenham Festival off a mark of 141.  He stayed on strongly and was the easy winner beating King of Sparta by 16 lengths.  He was sent off the hot 7/4 favourite.  He disappointed at Aintree after this but he made a fantastic start to his career over here.

The following season he made his comeback in the Murphy’s Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November 1999 off a mark of 155.  He finished eighth this day but returned to Cheltenham the following month to line up in the feature chase.  He made all, coming well clear and winning very easily beating Dante’s Cavalier by 21 lengths with AP in the saddle once again.  This victory was AP’s 1000^th winner over jumps. 

Majadou was then contesting all the top class races and while he found winning more difficult he was admirably consistent.  He was fourth in the Castleford chase at Wetherby, third in the Pillar Chase at Cheltenham and third back at the 2000 Cheltenham Festival in the Cathcart Chase, Grade 2 behind Stormyfairweather.  He was below form again at Aintree that year.

After a summer break he returned to action in the Thomas Pink Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November once again but this time with a Mr T Scudamore claiming five pounds on board.  He finished fifth behind Lady Cricket and filled the same position back at Cheltenham the following month.  He finished 11^th back at the Cheltenham Festival in 2002 and only had one more run in his career after this pulling up at Newton Abbot in July that year.  He had developed a few little injury niggles in his later years which had dampened his enthusiasm for racing.  He left the yard later that summer and although he did run in a point to point, it was the same scenario and he was retired from racing and found a nice home.

He won six races from 20 career starts and was placed five times as well, winning just under £100,000 in prize money.

Watch his Cheltenham Festival win by following this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUCCnxaYr5I