Malacate

On his racecourse debut, Malacate won a maiden race over 1500 metres at Deauville Racecourse in August. He was then moved up in class and distance for the Prix des Chênes over 1600 metres at Longchamp Racecourse and finished sixth of the eleven runners behind French Swanee.[4]

On his debut as a three-year-old, Malacate contested the Prix des Epinettes over 2200 metres at Longchamp and won by one and a half lengths from Loosen Up and Rec The Toolhouse, to whom he was conceding four and five pounds respectively. He followed up in the Listed Prix de Suresnes at the same course, beating Exceller by a length. On 23 May, Malacate was moved up to Group Three level for the Prix La Force over 2000 metres at Longchamp. Ridden as usual by Philippe Paquet, he was restrained at the back of the field before producing a strong run in the straight to win by one and a half lengths from the filly Start The Game, with Happy Tim in third.[5]

On 6 June Malacate started at odds of 8/1 for the Prix du Jockey Club over 2400 metres at Chantilly Racecourse. Repeating his previous tactics, Paquet held the colt up at the back of the field but when he attempted to move forward on the final turn he was forced to the wide outside and entered the straight with a very large amount of ground to make up. He accelerated impressively in the straight but was unable to reach the leader and finished third, beaten three lengths and three quarters of a length by the favourite Youth and the Prix Noailles winner Twig Moss. Twenty days after his defeat at Chantilly, Malacate was sent overseas for the first time to contest the Irish Derby over one and half miles at the Curragh. He started 5/1 second favourite behind Youth's stable companion Empery who had won the Epsom Derby, while the other contenders included Northern Treasure, Far North (Prix Saint-Roman), Hawkberry (later to win the Great Voltigeur Stakes) and the Vincent O'Brien-trained Niebo (Anglesey Stakes, Railway Stakes). In a change of tactics, Malacate raced close to the leaders before moving up to second behind Empery in the straight. He overtook the Derby winner a furlong and a half from the finish and drew away in the closing stages to win easily by two and a half lengths from Empery with Northern Treasure taking third ahead of Hawkberry. Later in July the colt contested Britain's most prestigious weight-for-age race, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot Racecourse, and started 13/2 fourth choice in the betting behind Youth, Pawneese and Bruni. Paquet repeated the tactics employed in Ireland, racing close to the leaders before moving up to second in the straight. He was unable, however, to make any impact on the leader Pawneese and was overtaken in the final furlong by Bruni, Orange Bay and Dakota to finish in fifth place.[5]

After a six-week break, Malacate returned in September for the Prix Niel, a trial race for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He started the 7/4 second favourite but finished third of the five runners behind Youth and Arctic Tern. Three weeks later the colt was sent back to Ireland for the inaugural running of the Joe McGrath Memorial Stakes over ten furlongs at Leopardstown Racecourse. With Paquet serving a suspension, Lester Piggott took over the ride on Malacate, who started the 4/5 favourite against ten opponents, the most prominent in the betting being Northern Treasure, Hawkberry and Niebo, all of whom he had beaten at the Curragh. Ridden with great confidence by Piggott, he turned into the straight in sixth place, took the lead approaching the final furlong and on easily by one and a half lengths from Mart Lane, with Niebo taking third ahead of Northern Treasure. On his final start of the year he ran in the Champion Stakes over ten furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse in October. The field split into two groups with Malacate racing on the stands-side (the left-hand side from the jockeys' viewpoint) where the ground was slower. He started poorly but took the lead in the stands-side group a quarter of a mile from the finish. He was never seriously challenged by his immediate rivals, but finished only fourth behind Vitiges, Rose Bowl and Northern Treasure, all of whom had raced on the far side. Timeform commented that his performance was probably of equal merit to that of the race winner.[5]

Malacate suffered from low fertility in his first season at stud and was sent back into training in 1977.[4] He made his first appearance of the season in the Prix des Erables over 1600 metres at Chantilly in July and won easily by five lengths. In August he was sent to England for the sixth running of the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup over ten and a half furlongs at York Racecourse and finished fifth behind the 33/1 outsider Relkino. On 11 September at Longchamp, the colt started 2.3/1 second favourite for the Prix Foy, a trial race for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in which he was opposed by Arctic Tern, Ranimer (Sun Chariot Stakes) Roan Star (Prix de la Forêt) and On My Way. Ridden by Paquet, he won by three-uarters of a length from On My Way with Ranimer in third and the favourite Arctic Tern in fourth. In the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on 2 October, Malacate started at odds of 12/1 and finished eighth of the twenty-six runners, six lengths behind the winner Alleged. On his final racecourse appearance he finished sixth behind Flying Water in the Champion Stakes.[6]