Mattaboy

Mattaboy never contested a maiden race, instead making his racecourse debut in the five furlong Star Stakes at Sandown Park Racecourse in July and winning easily from two opponents. In August he started odds-on favourite for the Rous Memorial Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse but was beaten one and a half lengths by the filly Integrity, to whom he was conceding six pounds in weight. Later in the month he contested the Prince of Wales's Stakes at York Racecourse and finished third behind the fillies Marwell and Welshwyn. In the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury Racecourse in September he led for most of the way before being overtaken a furlong out and was beaten one and a half lengths by Sweet Monday.[3]

In October, Mattaboy was moved up to Group One class for the first time in the Middle Park Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse. Ridden by Robert Armstrong's brother-in-law Lester Piggott he started the 7/1 fifth choice in the betting behind Bel Bolide (winner of the Gimcrack Stakes), Cooliney Prince (Windsor Castle Stakes), Goodbye Starter and Band Practice (runner-up in the Phoenix Stakes). The other four runners were Parkdale and Poldhu who had finished second and third in the Gimcrack, and the outsiders New Year's Day and Von Erlach. He raced towards the rear of the field as Bel Bolide set the pace before moving up rapidly on the rail to challenge the leader a quarter of a mile from the finish. After a sustained struggle in the closing stages, Mattaboy drew ahead in the final strides and won by half a length from Bel Bolide, with Poldhu two lengths back in third.[3]

Mattaboy finished unplaced on his three-year-old debut and was then sent to France for the Poule d'Essai des Poulains over 1600 metres at Longchamp Racecourse on 26 April. Ridden by Pat Eddery, he started a 17/1 outsider and finished eighth of the ten runners behind Recitation. Following two poor performances, the colt started a 50/1 outsider for the 173rd running of the 2000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile course at Newmarket on 2 May. He was hampered at the start and then fought against John Reid's attempts to restrain him at the rear of the field. In the second half of the race he made rapid progress to dispute the lead and got the better of a struggle with Bel Bolide but was caught in the final strides and beaten a neck by the favourite To-Agori-Mou. Two weeks after his run at Newmarket, Mattaboy was sent to the Curragh and started third favourite for the Irish 2,000 Guineas. Ridden by Tony Murray he finished fourth of the thirteen runners in a controversial race won by Kings Lake.[7]

Mattaboy was scheduled to face To-Agori-Mou and Kings Lake in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot but was withdrawn after being found to be running an abnormally high temperature on the morning of the race. He reappeared in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on 29 July but ran poorly and finished seventh, thirteen lengths behind the winner Kings Lake.[7] He was then sent to race in the United States where he was trained by Peter Howe. On his only North American start he finished fifth in an allowance race at Saratoga Race Course on 19 August[8] and was subsequently returned to England to rejoin Armstrong's stable.[7]

Mattaboy was campaigned as a sprinter in 1982, but failed to win in his two races. He showed some promise on his debut when finishing seventh behind Lightning Label in the Palace House Stakes over five furlongs at Newmarket May. He started favourite for the Duke of York Stakes later that month but ran disappointingly and finished unplaced behind Jester. He was later found to have sustained a serious injury to the ligaments in his right foreleg and did not race again.[9]