Mac's Imp

Mac's Imp made his racecourse debut in a maiden race over five furlongs at Nottingham Racecourse on 1 May in which he started the 4/9 favourite but finished second to Poet's Cove (later to win the Molecomb Stakes). He reappeared only four days later in a similar event at Newmarket and recorded his first success as he led from the start and won "comfortably" by five lengths.[7] On 23 May he was moved up to six furlongs for a minor event at Goodwood Racecourse and won "easily" by eight lengths from three opponents.[8] Three weeks later at Newbury he added a victory in the Kingsclere Stake, beating three opponents at odds of 4/6. Five days at his success at Newbury, Mac's Imp was moved up in class and started the 2/1 favourite against twelve opponents for the Group 3 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. He led from the start and kept on well in the final furlong to win by two lengths from Generous.[9]

In the following month at Newmarket, Mac's Imp started favourite for the July Stakes but after leading for most of the way he was overtaken approaching the final furlong and beaten into second place by Mujtahid. In the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood on 1 August the colt contested the Group 2 Richmond Stakes and started the 2/1 favourite ahead of six opponents including Time Gentleman (Railway Stakes) and Sylva Honda (Woodcote Stakes). After being briefly led by Mujadil, he went to the front after two furlongs and won by a length from Distinctly North, with three lengths back to Sylva Honda in third.[10] Eleven days after his win at Goodwood, Macs Imp was sent to Ireland and faced Distinctly North again in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at Leopardstown Racecourse, where the other fancied runners included Capricciosa, On Tiptoes (Queen Mary Stakes) and Gypsy Fiddler (Windsor Castle Stakes). Starting the even money favourite, Mac's Imp prevailed by a neck from Distinctly North with a gap of three lengths back to the other eleven runners.[11]

Mac's Imp began his second campaign in a minor race over six furlongs at Thirsk Racecourse on 20 April. He started the 6/4 favourite but ran poorly and finished last of the eight runners, beaten almost twenty lengths by the winner Norton Challenger. Cash Asmussen took over from Munro when the colt was dropped to five furlongs for a race at Kempton in May. The change in jockey brought no improvement as Mac's Imp showed some "early speed" before fading to finish last of the six runners.[12]