Marwell (horse)

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Marwell
Sire
Prix de l'Abbaye (1981)
Awards
Timeform rating 133 (1981)
Timeform top-rated two-year-old filly (1980)
Top-rated European two-year-old filly (1980)
Timeform top-rated three-year-old filly (1981)
Top-rated European three-year-old filly (1981)
Last updated on 27 July 2022

Marwell (21 May 1978 – October 2003) was an Irish-bred, British-trained

Prix de l'Abbaye
. She was retired from racing at the end of 1981 and became a successful broodmare. Marwell died in 2003.

Background

Marwell was a bay filly with no white

Oaks winner Unite.[5]

Loder sent his filly into training with Michael Stoute at his Freemason Lodge stable in Newmarket, where she was an exact contemporary of Shergar. She was usually ridden by Lester Piggott in her early races, before Stoute's new stable jockey Walter Swinburn took over in 1981.

Racing career

1980: two-year-old season

As a two-year-old in 1980, Marwell was unbeaten in five races, beginning with a four-length success in the Chesterfield Stakes over five

4/6[6] from Swan Princess with the Queen Mary Stakes winner Pushy in third place. Stoute considered moving the filly up in distance for the Lowther Stakes at York Racecourse in August but opted for the Prince of Wales's Stakes on the following day. She defeated Welshwyn by one and a half lengths despite carrying a seven-pound weight penalty for her Goodwood success.[7] With Piggott serving a suspension, Greville Starkey took the ride on Marwell when the filly was matched against colts in the Group Two Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster Racecourse in September. She was made the 4/11 favourite[6] and after starting slowly took the lead approaching the final furlong and drew clear of her opponents to win by three lengths despite being eased down in the closing stages. On her final appearance of the season, Marwell contested the Cheveley Park Stakes, then the only Group One race in the United Kingdom restricted to two-year-old fillies. Ridden again by Piggott, she won at odds of 4/9[6] from Welshwyn and Pushy.[7]

1981: three-year-old season

On her first appearance of the 1981 season, Marwell was moved up in distance for the seven-furlong Fred Darling Stakes at

in season.[10] On 19 May, Marwell returned to sprinting for the Gus Demmy Memorial Stakes over six furlong at Haydock Park Racecourse and produced a "most impressive performance" to beat July Stakes winner Age Quod Agis.[9]

In June, Marwell was matched against colts and older horses at

William Hill Sprint Championship on soft ground at York Racecourse in August. In what was considered a major upset, she finished second, beaten two and a half lengths by Sharpo, who recorded the second of his three wins in the race at odds of 14/1.[12]

At Haydock in September, Marwell sustained another upset defeat in the

metres at Longchamp Racecourse
in October. She won her third Group One of the year, beating Sharpo into second place.

Assessment

In 1980, the independent Timeform organisation awarded Marwell a rating of 124, making her the highest-rated two-year-old filly. In the official International Classification, she shared first place with Tolmi, the winner of the Princess Margaret Stakes. In the following year, Marwell was the rated the best three-year-old filly of the year by the International Classification and by Timeform, with the latter organisation rating her at 133.[13] In their annual Racehorses of 1981, Timeform commented, "Sprinting will be fortunate indeed to see her like among the so-called weaker sex inside another few seasons".[14]

In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Marwell the 26th best filly trained in Britain or Ireland in the 20th century and placed her 35th in their list of sprinters.[15]

Breeding record

After her retirement from racing, Marwell returned to her birthplace at Eyresfield and became a broodmare. She produced at least eight individual winners, including two who succeeded at Group One level:

  • Irish National Stakes
  • Selaah (bay colt 1987 by Rainbow Quest), won three races[16]
  • Marling (bay filly 1989 by Lomond), won Cheveley Park Stakes, Irish 1,000 Guineas, Coronation Stakes, Sussex Stakes
  • Expedient Option (bay colt 1990 by Sadler's Wells), won one race
  • Wellspring (bay filly 1994, sired by Caerleon), won one race[17]
  • Marwell's Kris (bay colt 1996 by Kris), won five races[18]
  • Littlefeather (bay filly 1997, sired by Indian Ridge), won four races[19]
  • Music Celebre (bay colt 2000 by Peintre Celebre), won six races[20]

Marwell was retired from stud duties in 2002 at the age of 24[21] and was euthanised at Eyresfield in the following October. Swinburn paid tribute to Marwell, calling her "a fabulous filly who did as much to get me established as Shergar" and "a very special friend".[10]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Marwell (IRE), bay mare, 1978[1]
Sire
Habitat (USA)
1966 		Sir Gaylord (USA)
1959 		Turn-To Royal Charger
Source Sucree
Somethingroyal Princequillo
Imperatrice
Little Hut (USA)
1952 		Occupy Bull Dog
Miss Bunting
Savage Beauty Challenger
Kara
Dam
Lady Seymour (GB)
1972 		Tudor Melody (GB)
1956 		Tudor Minstrel Owen Tudor
Sansonnet
Matelda Dante
Fairly Hot
My Game (IRE)
1957 		My Babu Djebel
Perfume
Flirting Big Game
Overture (Family:14-c)[5]

References

  1. ^ a b "Marwell pedigree". equineline.com. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  2. ^ "Marwell's influence still as strong as ever; BLOODSTOCK DESK". Racing Post. 30 May 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  3. ^ "Habitat". Pedigreepost.net. 3 February 2002. Archived from the original on 28 November 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  4. ^ "Leading Broodmare Sires of Great Britain and Ireland". Tbheritage.com. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Thoroughbred Bloodlines - Pretty Polly - Family 14-c". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  6. ^
    ISBN 978-1-873626-15-3
    .
  7. ^ a b "White a Gold" (12 June 1981). "Welshwyn to succeed as a sprinter". Glasgow Herald. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  8. ^ "Martin Gale" (30 April 1981). "Go Leasing each way looks best bet for guineas". Glasgow Herald. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  9. ^ a b "White and Gold" (19 June 1981). "Speedy Marwell has credentials". Glasgow Herald. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  10. ^ a b Geoff Lester and Lee Mottershead (31 October 2003). "Swinburn pays tribute to sprinting star Marwell". Racing Post. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  11. ^
    Glasgow Herald
    . Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  12. ^ "HEROES OF YORK; Sharpo (Nunthorpe Stakes 1980–82)". Racing Post. 14 August 2011. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  13. ISBN 0-85112-902-1
    .
  14. ISBN 0-900599-40-5
    .
  15. ISBN 978-1-901570-15-1
    .
  16. ^ "Selaah race record". Racing Post. 2 June 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  17. ^ "Wellspring race record". Racing Post. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  18. ^ "Marwell's Kris race record". Racing Post. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  19. ^ "Littlefeather race record". Racing Post. 2 June 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  20. ^ "Music Celebre race record". Racing Post. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  21. ^ "Sprint star Marwell retired from stud duty". Racing Post. 24 April 2002. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
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