Marmelo thriving in life after racing

Former leading stayer and 2018 Melbourne Cup runner-up Marmelo has turned his hand to another vocation with great success, as he enjoys a hunting career whilst still standing as a thoroughbred sire.

Now a 13-year-old, he was trained by Hughie Morrison to win seven times and finish second on eight occasions from 22 runs.

Among those victories were three Group Two events, with two renewals of the Prix Kergorlay on his CV alongside the 2018 Prix Maurice de Nieuil, and on home shores he also won the Group Three John Porter Stakes at Newbury.

The near-misses on his record include several narrow defeats in French Group races as well as his tremendous effort in being beaten just a length by Charlie Appleby’s Cross Counter in the 2018 renewal of the ‘race that stops a nation’ at Flemington racecourse.

Upon retirement he was initially posted to Haras du Grand Courgeon in Le Lion d’Angers for a fee of £3,500, after which he returned to England to stand at Norton Grove Stud in Yorkshire for a reduced sum of £2,000.

When he failed to attract enough mares to continue operating as a National Hunt sire he found a new home with Bruce Langley-McKim of Thorpeley Stud – who stands stallions of a variety of breeds that include the rare Suffolk Punch.

Marmelo’s duties are not just confined to breeding, however, as Langley-McKim is a keen huntsman who drafted in the horse to replace his usual ride and found the bay took to the task instantly.

“I run a stud and I’d already one thoroughbred standing here, he’s called Hydrogen and he came to me from David Redvers,” said Langley-McKim of Marmelo’s stablemate, who was a 2,500,000 guinea purchase as a yearling.

“Marmelo was standing at stud up north, but that wasn’t working out for him and his owners were looking to move him, (and) after talking to Mrs Morrison (Mary, wife of Hughie) I said I’d have him.

“My other horse had lost a shoe and I needed to go whipping-in, so I thought ‘well, the thoroughbred is fit. It’s a nice, easy day with the bloodhounds, I may as well take him and see how he gets on’.

“Well, he took to it like a duck to water having never been hunting or seen hounds. We’d been schooling and playing about over some jumps so I knew he had a jump in him, but he’d never been hunting in his life.

“I’ve kept in touch with the Morrisons and he’s just gone from strength to strength. So well, in fact, that I’ve stood down my old hunter and I’m just hunting Marmelo now.”

Stallions have a reputation for unruly behaviour and the hunting field can be a stimulating environment for any horse, but Marmelo’s gentlemanly temperament never falters.

“He stands at the meet, he’s good with the hounds, he jumps anything I put him at,” Langley-McKim continued.

“We don’t jump anything of a silly height because he’s still a novice, but I’ve had some very good days on him.

“He’s a machine but he’s also so polite to a fence, he’s a proper ladies’ ride who won’t gallop you in. He pops in quietly, he notices everything and gets on with his job.

“He still stands at stud, I run an Irish Draught and rare breeds stud and I’ve got about 12 stallions and they all go hunting and team chasing.

“He’s an absolute joy, you’d never know he was entire. He’s so easy to do and his temperament is brilliant, my wife is pregnant and she exercises him and handles him every day.

“The Morrisons produced him beautifully and he’s just so well mannered. He’s an absolute poppet, as good as gold.”