November 29, 2025 by Mike Madden
End Of An Era
Walking In A Winter Wonderland
Its the time of year when going for a walk can involve slipping and sliding through mud, getting caught on frozen terrain, or suffering heavy and unexpected downpours. Fortunately, we missed all of those when we headed to Thorpe towards Dovedale. Our walk began close to the Old Dog pub, and after my sister Fiona sent us off in the wrong direction, we retraced our steps and headed towards Thorpe Cloud.
This imposing hill was a little too imposing for our purposes, so we skirted around the edge of it towards Dovedale. We crossed the stream and started to make our way back, using the stepping stones to get back on track. After an hour or so we returned to the pub, and had a couple of refreshing drinks outside in ridiculously mild temperatures. Next up we are hoping to tackle the Magpie Mine from Ashford-in-the-Water, though after recent rain I don’t think we will be escaping the mud.
Thorpe Cloud
The way back
The Bank, Biryani and Bananas
We decided to try Deacon’s Bank for Sunday lunch, prompted by the news that our godson, Ted, worked there. So, we booked a table and arrived a couple of minutes early. The table was not ready, but no problem, we could get a drink at the bar and they would let us know when we could take our seats. Another couple arrived just before us, and somehow the staff contrived to make our wait a full 15 minutes before we actually got a drink, in a restaurant that had four other diners!
We were eventually shown to a table, and both ordered roast beef. I took it as it came, whereas Sally did not want roast potatoes or Yorkshire pudding, preferring extra vegetables instead. As we sat and chatted, we were served some focaccia with herb butter. It did not look like focaccia, but it had been proved for 51 hours. Not 50 or 52, but 51 hours. Why so precise? And what difference would it make? I have no idea, but when I make focaccia it is very different!
You Can’t Sit There
Next, we were moved. They had apparently overbooked the tables, so they asked us if we would mind moving. This was a small inconvenience but not the end of the world, so we moved to the next table!
Finally, our food arrived, and whilst it was on the whole well prepared and delicious, there were a few issues. The roast potatoes were actually quite firm and not what I would have expected. The menu advertises roast and mashed potatoes, but the mashed were nowhere to be found. The cauliflower cheese, so often served as an extra, was included. However, it was little more than a saucer to share between the two of us. To be honest I was underwhelmed by the whole experience, and there are so many good places in the surrounding area for Sunday lunch that we are unlikely to return in the near future.
Well presented lunch at Deacon’s Bank
Christmas Kitchen
Its the run up to Christmas, and so the kitchen has been used mainly for sweet treats. Flapjacks made a welcome return, as did chocolate chip cookies. This weekend I made the first chocolate log of the year, which Zac described as “perfection”. I would have shared a photo but there’s not much left.
I also decided to create another Focaccia, and I can confirm that it is far superior to the 51-hour proved version served at Deacon’s Bank.
Focaccia
I made chicken biryani which is essentially made in one pot, but which seems to take five times more effort than other curries.
Steaming Chicken Biryani
Of course, Christmas means gingerbread. I found some big eyes left over from last year!
Its not Christmas without gingerbread
Should have gone to Specsavers
That should have been about it, but my sister brought round several over-ripe bananas. So, soft banana cookies and banana and walnut cake took care of those.
A Good Cause
I do voluntary work for the Injured Jockeys Fund, and this week I was at Uttoxeter selling Christmas cards, diaries, calendars and all kinds of gifts. Took well over £1,000 and everyone is very supportive of the good cause. Ex-jockey Andrew Thornton gave us a big push on the PA and the second race was actually named after the IJF. They asked me to present the prize, but as I was on my own I could not leave the stand. If only Sally was there!
On sale at Uttoxeter
Not Long Now
Ole finally finished his acting in Manchester. Still not sure if I can say too much about it, but it is a Channel 4 drama that should be out in early 2026. So next up he is heading to Thailand on his way to Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. He plans to be away for around 3 months, missing Christmas and mum’s birthday. I’m not sure which will have the biggest effect.
Last Orders
One of the consequences of getting older is that you tend to attend an increasing number of funerals. Last week alone we had one in Macclesfield and another in Wetherby. Both were respectful, both provided magnificent buffets, but I do think that something should be done about the memorial brochure. I am sure a handful of people would keep the memorial as a keepsake of their beloved friend or family member. However, the majority will take it home as they would not want to appear disrespectful by leaving it at the church or crematorium. Then when they get home they are binned. A better idea would be to provide a digital copy for those that simply want to follow the ceremony. Cuts down on printing costs and waste.
At one of the funerals last week Sally decided that she would like an Aperol Spritz. The pub did not really sell many of them, so the landlord gave Sally the bottle of Aperol, together with a bottle of Prosecco, and said to help herself. The deceased would definitely have approved.
Decisions At Dundalk
Star Of Lady M returned to Dundalk for the Group 3 Mercury stakes, a race that would hopefully be a stepping stone to Dubai and further success. Char-Lee sent a message ahead of the race, saying our horse had travelled well, although the crossing had not been great. We set off at a reasonable time the following day, flying from Manchester to Dublin where we picked up a car for a little over £20. Our journey would cover quite a few miles, but all we needed to do was to fill the tank up on our return to the Easirent drop off place.
We were early arriving at Dundalk, so we called in at the hotel we stayed at last year and enjoyed a couple of drinks in a relaxed atmosphere.
Early start in Dundalk
The course was quiet when we parked up, but it soon livened up with a good Friday night crowd including a couple of birthday parties.
Star Of Lady M was initially the 11/2 favourite, but she was drawn in 9 so would be up against it. I was still not convinced that she liked Polytrack, but there was some good news when I found that there were two reserves. These were drawn inside us, and so in theory we would be drawn in 7 when the race began.
We enjoyed a fantastic Irish Stew, (or was it stroganoff?) served with creamy mashed potatoes. Once again I could not manage dessert. We chatted with a couple of racegoers, and then it was time to race.
The weather turned foul, and we huddled with other owners in the parade ring. Kevin Blake was there once again with Lady With The Lamp, Aidan O’Brien had withdrawn one of his runners meaning we were effectively in 8.
Star Doesn’t Shine
Ronan Whelan was confident, and he thought that she wandered about last year because her visor might have slipped. That gave me a little more confidence, but for the first time ever I thought, this might just be her last race.
Ronan Whelan on Star Of Lady M
She broke ok but was quickly outpaced. Although she travelled well, and ran on towards the end, she could do no better than ninth. West Acre, who had wintered well in Dubai the previous year and would probably head there again, finished second, and Lady With The Lamp was 12th.
Ronan said she struggled to accelerate, and perhaps she was not as fast as she once was, whilst Tash thought that she was maybe protecting her injury. She was doing well at home, but that was where she could build up her speed at her own pace.
Star Of Lady M gave it everything on a foul night in Dundalk
I still suspected that she would be better on turf than Polytrack. Sally immediately said, “well she’s won’t be going to Dubai after that,” but I remembered David’s words from a long time ago. Don’t let the highs get you too high, and don’t let the lows get you too low. It was not the time to be making a snap decision, so we left Dundalk and headed to Naas where we had booked to stay at the renowned Lawlors hotel.
The very grand Lawlors in Naas
Decisions, Decisions
I missed calls from David and Luke on the way, but I could catch up with them over the weekend. Everyone that we spoke to about staying in Naas mentioned Lawlors. It was clearly the place to be, and when we arrived we were not disappointed. Lawlors was magnificent. A real gem of an hotel, with ornate bars and hallways. We quickly checked in and then enjoyed a Guinness and Aperol before retiring for the night.
The stylish bar
Our familiar tipple
In my mind we could still head to Dubai, but I would need to be confident that the turf would bring about the dramatic improvement required. She had shown her ability on her comeback at Beverley on suitable ground, and her subsequent races had been on soft and polytrack. However, her future career as a broodmare was also a consideration.
Luke would give some sound advice, as would David, but ultimately it would be our decision what to do next.
The following morning things were not a whole lot clearer. We spoke to Luke and then, after a hearty breakfast, made the long journey from Naas to Mount Coote Stud. Our satnav took us an interesting route, leaving the motorway to take a scenic tour of rural Ireland via Tipperary. Eventually we arrived at the back gate, and after a couple of wrong turns we arrived at the front door around 11.30am.
It’s a long way to Tipperary...
…but the pubs make it well worthwhile
Magnificent Mount Coote
We were welcomed by Luke, Tabitha and three dogs, with a loose plan to tour the farm and then sit down to lunch. Discussions around a stallion for Star Of Lady M were high on the agenda, but at that stage it could still be over a year away.
Mount Coote
A short time later plans were changed when a car pulled up. Tabitha thought it might be some people renting a cottage who had arrived early, and she went out to deal with them. However, as two ladies emerged from their car, we realised that one of them was Dympna, David O’Meara’s mum. She could not make Dundalk, but when she realised we were heading to Mount Coote she decided that she absolutely must meet us there, just an hour from where she lives. She brought along her friend, Liz O’Connor, and everyone was soon deep into a variety of conversations.
Liz’s son Austin was an Olympic eventer, and she knew Tabitha who also has a background in equestrian sport. Dympna was more interested in breeding, and particularly Sioux Nation who had sired the first foal from her mare Elisheva. Unfortunately the price for Sioux Nation had virtually doubled due to the success of his progeny on the racetrack.
Christmas Cake And Cabbage
As Tabitha prepared lunch the conversation turned to food, with Liz and Dympna sharing various stories around bacon and cabbage, a staple Irish dish. Of course, bacon water had to be used to cook the cabbage in, which made me laugh. When I was growing up we regularly had bacon and cabbage, all done in a single pot.
When it came to Christmas Cake, they had different opinions. Dympna put apples in hers so that it does not need much booze to provide the moisture. Liz and myself were of the opinion that no one actually needs booze in a cake, but it adds so much flavour and warmth, why would anyone omit it? I described my Creole Cake, baked ten weeks in advance of Christmas, and then fed at two week intervals with Cointreau, brandy, port, sherry and rum.
Ronan’s Consolation
With appetites suitably whetted we sat down to a delicious lunch and discussed the race. As we watched the racing on tv Ronan Whelan won the Group 1 on Hawk Mountain.
Dundalk was still playing on my mind, and I was convinced that the polytrack surface was not in her favour, but who was I trying to convince? And why? Was I being overly sentimental or selfish in not wanting her racing career to end? It would need some long, hard and honest thinking to decide.
David left a message mid-afternoon and said that he would call on his way back from Doncaster. He was probably surprised when I told him I was having lunch with his mother. Results had gone against him all day, and he probably had a lot of owners to talk to. Our discussion could easily wait until the following week.
Dubai Dreaming
Luke was still talking about the possibility of Dubai, and he would ask one of his many contacts about the practicalities of racing in December and January before returning to breed. I was still excited about this possibility, but equally, if we did decide to retire her there and then, she would have plenty of time to travel to Mount Coote and be prepared for her future career as a broodmare.
Now that looked an ominous possibility but we shouldn’t be too down. She could have time off and get ready for breeding at the wonderful Mount Coote.
Eventually, Dympna and Liz were on their way, and it was a fond farewell. Time was limited, but Luke took us on a tour of the farm. He explained about the different barns, paddocks and feeding areas. The husbandry around the farm, involving cattle and sheep was all important, but possibly the most important factor was the land itself. Mount Coote more or less lies in the Golden Vale of Tipperary, birthplace and nursery for so many great racehorses. Star Of Lady M would certainly have that in her favour when she finally arrived there.
Star Of Lady M’s future home
Search For A Stallion
Back in the house we kept one eye on the clock as we went through a list of stallions. This was supplemented with some research and analysis by Alan Porter from Oregon, who goes through pedigrees with a forensic approach.
Blue Point was the favoured stallion, as he had proven himself already, and he was top of Alan’s analysis. However, he was the small matter of 100,000 Euros, and Luke thought that it would be unlikely that they would consider a foal share. We dismissed the new sires as their progeny were unproven, and Cotai Glory, from Alan’s list, was moved to the bottom of the pile. The list was growing, with Too Darn Hot, Sioux Nation and Kameko all included. Luke’s breadth of knowledge came to the fore to dismiss some, but others had to be considered.
Sergei Prokofiev and Showcasing were both from Whitsbury Manor and at opposite ends of their stallion careers. l was interested in both. I thought that Ed Harper at Whitsbury would give us a good deal, as that was the birthplace of Star Of Lady M, and, of course, she had been the first winner for their superstar Havana Grey.
Palace Pier was relatively unproven, but Pinatubo was interesting. Luke thought that his fee would go down so we would keep an eye on that. Mohaather was dismissed, whilst Starman was high on the list but his fee would surely rise considerably from 10,000 Euros.
The conclusion was that we would need to discuss again, and send a final list for further analysis to Alan.
Homeward Bound
We said another fond farewell and embarked on the long drive back to the airport. We had plenty of fuel despite our mileage, but then about 20 miles from our destination the fuel light came on. It was a gamble but we continued all the way to Dublin, past the airport, before limping in to a garage to refuel. We got a lift from Easirent to T2, though we were actually departing from T1. This worked in our favour as T1 was deserted. We flew through security and after a short walk we arrived in the departure lounge. We were soon home with plenty to think about.
Dissecting The Data
I did not watch the race back until Sunday, and it did not really enlighten me. Even the data was inconsistent, particularly when compared to her brilliant wins at York and Ayr. She has never been that quick getting to 20mph, but her finishing speed has always been good. Her top speed was a disappointment at Dundalk, and her stride length seemed to have changed. I had no idea what to make of all that, and put it to one side until I had spoken to David.
David had not called on Saturday, and I did not want to bother him on Sunday, so I left it. There was no rush, Dubai was some time away, and she would have an easy time after her trip to Ireland. I heard nothing on Monday, but then got a bit of a surprise on Tuesday. Star Of Lady M had been dropped 3 pounds to 104, which was a pound below the threshold for travel subsidies to Dubai.
Dubai Details
Meanwhile, Luke had spoken to a friend of his who advised that our plan to potentially race in Dubai and then return to breed was possible, but it was risky. The conclusion was that if we went to Dubai, we should probably extend that to a full season and delay breeding for a year. The temperature change would have an impact, but there would be other factors too.
In a way it was a relief, as we were effectively turning the clock back 12 months. She would be getting borderline too old after that, but as a mature mare she could eliminate many of the risks associated with younger mares.
So, it was possible but with conditions. The only thing remaining to impact our decision was the call from David. It was like waiting for the call when she got injured as a two-year-old and was kept at the vet during her recovery.
The Final Piece Of The Puzzle
Finally, on Wednesday, David rang. He thought that she hated every minute of the race at Dundalk, and he thought that she was maybe tentative on her ligament following her recent injury. I asked about the travel subsidy in Dubai, and whether we could ask the handicapper to give us a separate turf rating above the threshold. It was possible, but the odds were stacking against us.
The End Is Nigh
I thought about it for a while, and then came to the conclusion that there were too many unknowns. If we took her to Dubai and she still did not thrive we would lose another year of her being a broodmare. With doubts about her ongoing injury, and no real reason for the letdown at Dundalk, I decided that the best course of action all around was to retire her.
Sally was fully supportive, as were David and Luke. We could now think seriously about a stallion, and make preparations to transport her to Mount Coote. David expected that to happen quickly, but I thought it made sense to keep her at Willow Farm, at least until we had decided whether we would use an English or Irish stallion.
Star Of Lady M left the racecourse for the last time at Dundalk
Celebrations Not Commiserations
As I let people know the situation, there were many condolences and messages of regret. I did not look at it like that. Yes, it was sad to end her racing career, but she owed us nothing. She had won eleven races, including a class 1 and two class 2s. She had taken us to Paris as well as Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood, and she had given us that cherished victory at the Ebor Festival.
At Redcar and Beverly she will always be remembered, and she has accumulated so many fans. Not bad for a 15,000 guineas yearling! She will now embark on a second career as a broodmare. That will pan out hopefully over many years, and we are fortunate enough that we can be with her all the way. In a few years time, we would hope to send one of her offspring across to David to race, and the whole cycle would start again.
Everything Happens For A Reason
I had thought that the sequel to From Tattersalls To Triumphs would end at the conclusion of her racing career, so now I can finish that particular book.
A few days later I was at a veterinary conference selling Injured Jockeys Fund merchandise. While I was there I got a call from Aaron. Although it was by mistake we had a good chat, discussing Star Of Lady M perhaps not reaching the heights of her previous season, and that she was doing fine on the walker. I saw this as one more confirmation that we were doing the right thing.
It is almost always sales season in the bloodstock world, but November was particular interesting. It was the foals who were under the hammer, and prices varied wildly. Starman was holding up well, as was Blue Point. Sands Of Mali was also interesting, together with some of the foals who failed to reach their reserve. It all added further complexities to our final decision of who to cover Star Of Lady M with, and that would only be for her first foal!
Finally, I spoke to Stu Graham who we first met at David’s the week after the Abbaye. He owned Intisaab, another rags to riches horse, and he was keen to get his thoughts down on paper with a view to writing a book. At least we might have inspired someone!
You can read the previous edition here:-
Once In A Lifetime