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Malacate (foaled 18 April 1973) was an American-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He showed some promise as a two-year-old in 1975, before emerging as one of the leading colts of his generation in Europe in the following year. His performances in 1976 included wins in the Prix La Force, Irish Derby (beating Empery) and the first running of the Joe McGrath Memorial Stakes, in addition to running well in races such as the Prix du Jockey Club, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Champion Stakes. After failing in his first season at stud he returned to racing in 1977 and won the Prix Foy. He was then retired for a second time and had some success as a sire or winners in Japan.
As a yearling Malacate was offered for sale at Keeneland and bought for $40,000 by representatives of María Félix, a Mexican actress and wife of French financier Alex Berger. The colt was sent to Europe to be trained in France by François Boutin.
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.
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 ,ridden again by Lester Piggott,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.
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