A former Flat racing stallion who won over £1m and came second in the Melbourne Cup – and was not ridden for five years – has taken to his new life bloodhounding and draghunting “like a duck to water”.
Top stayer Marmelo, who was trained to Group success at home and abroad by Hughie Morrison, moved to Bruce Langley-McKim of Thorpeley Irish Draught & Rare Breed Stud last year aged 12, after years standing at stud – and is now having the time of his life.
Bruce told H&H Marmelo “didn’t get many mares” during his time at different studs, and someone suggested Bruce take him on.
“He’s having the time of his life,” Bruce said.
“We got him fit and jumped a few poles with him, then Cos Me Is Black lost a shoe and I needed to whip in for the Readyfield Bloodhounds. I thought ‘I’m going to have to take the thoroughbred’! And he absolutely loved it. He’s like an old man’s hunter who has been doing it all his life.”
Marmelo had seven wins for Hughie, including the Group Two Prix Maurice de Nieuil, and the Darley Prix Kergolay twice, and the Group Three Dubai Duty Free John Porter Finest Surprise Stakes. He broke course records at home and abroad, and was narrowly beaten by Cross Counter in the 2018 Melbourne Cup. But he had never jumped.
Bruce said he initially took Marmelo out thinking that if the horse wasn’t enjoying himself, “I knew where the lorry was”.
“I took him out to the Cambridgeshire Draghounds’ team-chase course and thought if it didn’t go well, I could take him to the end and pretend we’d been there all along!” he said. “But in the end, we were beside the field master all day, and he’s never looked back.
“He’s fantastic with hounds and jumps anything you put in front of him.”
Bruce said Marmelo is a gentleman in the stable.
“My wife’s pregnant and I wouldn’t trust some of the stallions with her but he just wants love and attention,” he said.
Hughie told H&H he and his team always take a great deal of trouble to find horses good homes and lives after racing.
“I’m biased but there aren’t many horses who achieve what he did on the Flat and go on to hunting, taking it like a duck to water,” he said.
Hughie added that Marmelo deserved to win a Group One but as he was always being prepared for the Melbourne Cup when appropriate races were run, he did not contest them. Marmelo held track records at Chantilly and York racecourses.
“He was a very good Flat horse who broke two significant track records; what we never knew is how good he could have been over jumps,” Hughie said. “He had the speed to win the Champion Hurdle, and from his hunting exploits, he seems to have the aptitude to have no trouble jumping. He’s got many talents that should mean success as a sire of sport horses and the like. Bruce has done a fantastic job with him.”
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