Looking Back 41) Mamlook

                      Mamlook

Mamlook is a 2004 born brown gelding, son of Key Of Luck and out of a dam called Cradle Brief.  He was purchased by David from Newmarket horses in training sales in July 2007.  He was terrific value at 70,000 guineas for what he achieved for us and in today’s market I am sure he would have cost a lot more money.  He was a high class winner on the flat and also won over hurdles and fences in the famous Make A Stand colours of Peter Deal.

He began his career in Ireland in training with Kevin Prendergast.  He made his racecourse debut at the Curragh in September 2006 over seven furlongs and finished a very close second, staying on well and narrowly failing to get his nose in front. Three more placings followed before he finally got a deserved victory on his fifth attempt, over 1m5f at Wexford in May 2007. He then finished second again before being unplaced in a handicap off a mark of 86 on his final outing in Ireland before going to the sales.

He made a winning Pond House debut in a juvenile hurdle in November of that year at Market Rasen with A P McCoy in the saddle.  He followed up winning the following month at Warwick before disappointing at Ludlow.  He then ran in the Fred Winter juvenile handicap hurdle at the 2008 Cheltenham Festival off a mark of 130.  Sent off at 33/1 he never really featured finishing nearer last than first behind winner Crack Away Jack while stablemate Ashkazar finished second.  He got back to winning form with a nice win at Ascot in April and was then brought down at the second hurdle on his next outing in the Swinton hurdle at Haydock.

He then returned to the flat and ran an absolute cracker to finish a very close second in the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot in June 2008 with Ryan Moore in the saddle.  He was held up and came with a late run and draw level near the finish but was just pipped by Missoula by a head.  After a little holiday is next run was in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket in October 2008.  He ran another great race to finish third with Ryan Moore on board once again.  He stayed on but was beaten three lengths and a neck by Caracciola and Arc Beu off a mark of 85.

He returned hurdling after this and was disappointing in the Greatwood hurdle at Cheltenham but the ground was too soft for him this day.  He finished sixth in the Ladbroke hurdle at Ascot and then a very close fourth in a competitive handicap hurdle back at the track behind Serabad and Lough Derg.  He finished well behind in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys race at the 2009 Cheltenham Festival but ran well on his first try over three miles at Aintree to finish fourth after this.

After a summer holiday he returned to have another crack at the Cesarewitch and and he ran another fine race to go on place better than the previous year and finish second.  Richard Hughes was on board on this occasion and was a never nearer second, five lengths behind winner Darley Sun.  It was back to hurdles next and he finished second in the Elite hurdle at Wincanton before getting a deserved high class win over hurdles back at Ascot, a course he seemed to love.  He won a Grade 2 handicap hurdle off a mark of 139 with Hadden Frost in the saddle beating Tasheba and Lough Derg this day.  He went on to finish fourth in the Totesport Trophy at Newbury after this before showing his disliking of Cheltenham once again in the 2010 Coral Cup.  He was not at his best at Aintree after this so a spell back on the flat beckoned.

He headed to Chester in May for the Chester Cup with Richard Hughes booked to ride again.  He ran on gamely at the end of this prestigious race to prevail in a driving finish beating Tastahil by a head.  It was his biggest win and David’s biggest flat winner to that date, although Junior went onto win at Royal Asccot the following month!  He won this contest off a mark of 96 so it was a fine performance from both horse and jockey.  He headed to Newcastle for the Northumberland Plate the following month but ran below form and then headed out for a summer holiday.

He was next seen on the racecourse in January 2011 as he headed to Fakenham for a novice chase with A P McCoy on board.  He duly won at odds of 6/5f and he finished third at Exeter on his next start.  He headed to Sandown in March for another novice chase and won this day with Danny Cook on top.  He bypassed Cheltenham this year and instead headed straight to Aintree where he ran well to finish fourth in the Red Rum handicap chase. He went back for another crack at the Chester Cup after this and was unplaced and then he ran at Newton Abbot in August in their feature chase of the summer.  Unfortunately he picked up a leg injury this day and it meant his career was effectively over. 

After a lengthy time off he did return to the racetrack in October 2013 on the flat at Nottingham to finish fifth in a handicap but another injury sustained subsequently made the decision to retire him an easy one.  He was gifted to the Moorcroft racehorse charity to enjoy his retirement.

Mamlook was the winner of eight races from 35 career starts which included two on the flat, four over hurdles and two over fences.  He was also placed another 14 times as well.  He won over £234,000 in prize money and was rated 100 at best on the flat and 145 at best over hurdles.  He gave David on of his biggest ever days on the flat as a trainer and is fondly remembered.  There are not many horses that can be so high class in all disciplines like he was, he was a real star.

Watch him cup back into the winners enclosure after his win in the 2010 Chester Cup here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egThxZpPcR8