Australian Bloodstock's Luke Murrell and Jamie Lovett have established a reputation for canny overseas purchases, utilising their own extensive data to analyse the performance of prospective acquisitions.
In Mugatoo's four starts for David Simcock in relatively low-profile races, including wins at Lingfield and Doncaster, Murrell said he had seen enough to suggest the then 4-year-old gelding by Henrythenavigator (USA) was worth pursuing.
"Our underlying philosophy is that the eye can lie, and you have to have some hard factual data to back up your impressions," Murrell told TDN AusNZ.
"Some of the stuff he had done in his races, not only when he won, was 'is that right?' type stuff. You go back and double and triple check. We have got a pretty extensive database of historical type sectionals and times and you see that he is a good horse. We just looked at what we needed to do to get him.
"We have got a pretty extensive database of historical type sectionals and times and you see that he is a good horse." - Luke Murrell
"They are the ones that I get most excited about. They aren't the obvious ones. They haven't won three from three or have a couple of Group races under their belt. Big Duke was a bit like that and there have been a few of them."
While the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups were the races initially on the radar of Mugatoo, he showed himself more than adept across a range of distances. He arrived in Australia in October 2019 and three months later in his first start in Australia for Kris Lees, he won a race over 1600 metres. Two starts later, he claimed his first stakes success in the Listed Canberra Cup.
After the past 12 months, he has proven a brilliantly consistent horse, winning the Listed Winter Challenge, G3 Premier's Cup and G3 Newcastle Cup before finishing runner-up in the G1 Metropolitan and an excellent fourth in the G1 Cox Plate.
On Saturday, he relished the soft conditions at Moonee Valley, and aided by a perfectly timed ride from Hugh Bowman, captured The All-Star Mile in thrilling fashion. It was particularly satisfying for Murrell.
"As a scout, you are always looking for those left-field ones. To get him off some pretty standard form and do what he has done and exceed our expectations has been amazing. We knew he was a very good horse and when we bought him we thought his pedigree might say he might only be a miler. We always had that in the back of our heads, but his form was up to nearly two miles," he said.
Rich success shared with owners
What made the moment all the more satisfying for Murrell is the people they were able to share the success with.
"When you are in this situation, it's more of a relief I find. To share it with the most beautiful people you could even imagine, they have all come together in this one horse, that makes it extra special," he said.
A happy group of connections
"The majority of the owners have been with us for 10 years plus. Like everything, you build relationships, rapport and trust and not every one of these horses works out. We try to get them more right than wrong.
"We all couldn't be there yesterday, but there were a couple of big parties around the country and everyone got together. There were really good scenes around the place. It's the relief and joy you see in their faces. No matter how much money you have, you can't buy that experience. It’s very satisfying from my point of view."
A tribute to Lees
Lees has been a long-time trainer for Australian Bloodstock, a relationship forged through their connections in Newcastle, and Mugatoo has been the horse which has brought them more combined joy than any other. His win in last year's Newcastle Cup was significant as Lees' first victory in the 'hometown' race after many years of trying.
Saturday's All-Star victory, second-up over the 1600 metres, was a tribute to Lees' preparation and vision.
Hugh Bowman and Kris Lees celebrate the win
"We are just really pleased for Kris. I see some freakish things he's done. It might be a Class 1 horse that has had 10 starts, but he just does some amazing things and overachieves with so many horses," Murrell said.
"We have backed him for a long time now based on him being a trustworthy guy who can really train. He's had some bad luck in some massive races and to finally get a bit go your way, I'm just as happy for him and his team."
"We have backed him (Kris Lees) for a long time now based on him being a trustworthy guy who can really train." - Luke Murrell
What has been the key to realising Mugatoo's potential has been the patience Lees has shown with the imported gelding. His breeding indicated he would take some time to hit his best, with his dam, Elopa (Ger) (Tiger Hill {Ire}), a multiple stakes winner at four, while Murrell also points out that the best of Henrythenavigator's progeny have been slow-maturing horses.
"You know that in the back of your mind. The way Kris has placed him, other trainers might have rushed him and thrown in the deep end more quickly, but it's a big thing to try and manage their careers, and Kris just does that so well all the time," he said.
"To take them through the grades. Perhaps that could have cost him in terms of the profile to get into The All-Star Mile, but the things he did on the clock, always told us how good he was."
Chance plays its part
Murrell is aware of the role chance can play in success in the racing game. Had Mugatoo not got a wildcard entry to The All-Star Mile he wouldn't have been at Moonee valley on Saturday, while had the rain not arrived in time for the race, it may have been a very different outcome.
"We had that slight couple of nerves when he initially didn't make the field. It is funny how things work out. We left the Cox Plate last year, thinking what might have been and you don't get many shots at those good races," he said.
"Yesterday, when they upgraded the track after Race 4 to a Good 3 and the leaders were kicking and leading, you felt it wasn't going to be our day. But then the rain came and you get a 10 out of 10 ride to go with it."
The G1 Queen Elizabeth S. now shapes as his likely next challenge, with a trip north for the winter for the $1.5 million G2 Q22 at Brisbane on the agenda before seeking some redemption at Moonee Valley in the spring.
"It might be the obvious path to give him a trial and head to the Queen Elizabeth and then race for the good money in the new race in Queensland. That might flow him on to getting a bit of payback for the Cox Plate if we can," Murrell said.
