Ela-Mana-Mou

Image:

The name Ela-Mana-Mou might not mean too much to current racegoers (did you know: it does means "I love you " in greek!) . One has to be a long-time fan to remember him on the track, I certainly am clearly too young. His career on the track is worth remembering though:

Ela-Mana-Mou was born in 1976 and must be regarded as one of the bargain-buys of the Century. By Pitcairn - Rose Bertin Mou changed hands for a mere 4,500 gns as a yearling. He went on to win 4 of his five juvenile starts, when still trained in Ireland, and was a creditable fourth to Troy in the 1979 Derby. He changed hands after that, for a reputed 500,000 gns as well to race in the colours of the Weinstock Family as a four year-old , being trained by Dick Hern, and wasted little time to prove what a shrewd buy that was:
Mou began by winning the Earl of Sefton Stakes at Newmarket , then the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Ascot , before gaining the 2 most important successes of his career . He captured the Eclipse by three quarters of a length from Hello Gorgeous and won the King George V1 and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes by the same three quarters of a length from Mrs Penny. He then went to Paris and desperatly tried to gain pace he did not have to win the Arc, but others could quicken and he could only run on; at the Post he was a creditable third to Detroit. But he was a wonderful racehorse, always giving his all, and his honour of being Champion Four-year-old in 1980 was richly deserved.

Mou went on to become a stallion, standing all his life at Simmonstown Stud, a division of Airlie Stud, in Newsbridge near Kildare. He was a prolific sire, though not world class, but he did sire the likes of Champion Stayer Double Trigger and his full brother Double Eclipse, as well as St. Leger winner Snurge, among many others.
Mou´s last small crop of some jumpers are six this year (2007), and he has become an influential broodmare sire, ensuring his name will be etched in the pedigrees of good racehorses for generations to come.

Find his Pedigree here:

Pedigreequery - Ela Mana Mou

Not many commercial horses are allowed to live out their years after the breeding shed is beyond them, so even we were surprised to hear that Mou is still alive (Telling a well-known irish trainer that we were about to see Mou, his reply in fact was:" Where abouts is that - is he stuffed or what?").
My friend went to see him about 7 years ago, when failing health through difficulties to breath meant that connections thought Mou would not go on much longer. But he is still there, and all the sparkle is as well. A different daily routine combined with new bedding did the trick, and Mou is very much a valued and important member of Simmonstown daily stud life.
We were lucky enough to visit him several times in the last year, and apart from the fact that his health and general appearance was better every time we came back to him, it is simply heartwarming and wonderful to see how much he still enjoys his life, in his 32nd year. Posing proudly for our camera, Mou was then more interested to check the breeding shed, after settling for our polos instead he was raring to get out into his paddock. A little canter and a lot of trotting around showed us how much life is still left in him. We hope to meet Mou again for many years to come !

A wonderful head-shot of Ela-Mana-Mou

Image: Ela Mana Mou

He might be a bit weak in body, but his coat is gleaming, and note all the sparkle in his eyes:

Image:

A link to Airlie Stud can be found here:

Airlie Stud

An -although quite old- article on Mou´s breeding Merits can be found on the "Chef-du-race" homepage:

Chef-du-race - Ela-Mana-Mou

The link to our Webshots-Album with more photos of Mou can be found in the "Irish Guineas" Section - Turf Travel III !

Death of a Legend

Ela-Mana-Mou died of old age on wednesday, august 6th 2008. He went out into his paddock as ususal, but was found unable to rise again around midday. He was surrounded by all the people who loved him and looked after him so well during the 27 years he spent at Simmonstown Stud. No words can describe what he meant to Michael and John.

"Catrin & John James,

Unfortunately Ela-Mana-Mou had to be put down last Wednesday as he went down in his paddock and couldn’t get up. Everyone at Airlie will of course miss him as he has been around for so long but he had a long life and enjoyed his last few years of retirement at Simmonstown. Thank you for your interest in Ela.

Regards,

Brendan Diamond."

Image:

Letter: Farewell to a star who lit up the Flat in 1980

Published: 19/08/2008 (Letters) Catrin Nack
I WISH to bid a very fond farewell to Ela-Mana-Mou, who was put down owing to the infirmities of old age at Simmonstown Stud, a division of Airlie Stud, recently. He was 32.
Ela-Mana-Mou's stable had a brass sign saying 'Champion four-year-old of Europe, 1980', so recalling his racing days is a proper trip down memory lane - I only ever saw him run on old video tapes.
He was fourth to Troy in the 1979 Derby, and ran up the most wonderful sequence when taking the 1980 Earl of Sefton Stakes and the Prince of Wales's Stakes, followed by his two most important wins in the Eclipse Stakes and the King George the VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
He then ran his heart out, and showed all his class and courage, at Longchamp on that first Sunday in October to finish a close third behind Detroit in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Ela-Mana-Mou was retired to Airlie Stud and spent the remaining 27 years of his life there, first as a sire and later in retirement, after being stood down from stallion duties a couple of years ago. We were lucky to be allowed to visit Mou several times in his later years and, while he clearly was an old horse then, his eyes were sparkling, as was his coat, and he was still ruling the place.
In fact, he was rather impatient to head either for the breeding shed, or at least for his paddock, which he would roam on the lookout for a mare.
He was looked after in exemplary fashion, and we always felt privileged to be allowed to visit.
Mou left many good horses to carry his name into the pedigrees of future generations, and how wonderful it was to see his grandson Equiano taking the Kings Stand's Stakes at Royal Ascot.
We went to visit him in May and, while he was in good spirits, I had a nagging feeling it would be the last time we would see the old boy.
While his death is clearly the end of an era - after all, along with him went the last stallion to stand at Airlie/Simmonstown Stud - we will forever cherish the memories of one very special horse.
Thank you to all who made his life such a great one.
Catrin Nack
Hamburg, Germany