Trainer Kris Lees and owners Australian Bloodstock have called time on the career of outstanding galloper Mugatoo.
Australian Bloodstock director Jamie Lovett confirmed the eight-year-old’s retirement on Thursday and said the writing was on the wall after he failed to fire in his comeback from a tendon injury earlier this month.
The gelding finished last to Surefire, beaten more than 14 lengths, and while he came through the race with no soundness issues, he was later found to have traces of blood in one nostril.
Having let the dust settle, Lovett said connections felt it was in the horse’s best interests not to push on.
“We just felt it was the right time and he owes us nothing,” Lovett said.
“He’s come back from a throat issue and a tendon and it was an inglorious run the other day. We just thought, let’s call it.
“So we’ve pulled up stumps and he will have a good retirement in a nice paddock.”
Sourced by Australian Bloodstock from England, Mugatoo raced 22 times for nine wins, seven of them in Australia.
He proved a special horse for connections, delivering Lees and the Hunter-based Australian Bloodstock a treasured win in their hometown Newcastle Cup in 2020 and six months later captured the $5 million All-Star Mile.
But Lovett rated Mugatoo’s fourth to Sir Dragonet in the 2020 Cox Plate as the horse’s finest performance.
“I still think the run of his career was the Cox Plate where he had no luck and ran out of his skin that day. Albeit, it was disappointing, it was a big thrill,” he said.
“He was a special horse, hopefully we can find another one.”
Mugatoo retires having banked more than $3.4 million in stakes.
