The Mullet

Gerald Cooper, 77, the much-loved farmhand from popular television documentary Clarkson’s Farm, brings you Gerald’s Charity Syndicate - a syndicate designed to raise awareness and funds for Prostate Cancer UK.

Gerald received a heartfelt outpouring of support from fans after revealing his prostate cancer diagnosis on the show. He said: “My cancer diagnosis was bewildering, but I received tremendous support from family, friends, and Prostate Cancer UK, which was also a lifeline. Now cancer-free, I wanted to do something joyful for a good cause.”

Each £60 share in the aptly-named ‘The Mullet’ will include a £5 donation to Prostate Cancer UK in addition to the donation of 25% of Old Gold Racing and Gerald’s management fees.

Once the syndicate is filled, we will have raised £28,500 for Prostate Cancer UK, and hopefully raised a lot of awareness in the process!

Furthermore, all Old Gold Racing owners will have the chance to donate their prize money to Prostate Cancer UK via a button in their MyStables app.

About Prostate Cancer UK: Prostate Cancer UK gives every man the power to navigate prostate cancer.

They support dads, brothers, partners and friends by raising awareness, funding life changing research, campaigning for change and providing much needed support.

1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer, but all too often they find out by complete chance, too late.

It’s therefore important to help fund the research that will improve the odds of detecting prostate cancer earlier and stop men dying too soon.

To give Gerald the last word: “Let’s strive for a world where no man dies from prostate cancer”.

Check your risk in 30 seconds, HERE.

Introducing The Mullet, an attractive 3-year-old gelding, in training with Charlie Longsdon.

The Mullet has plenty of bone and a very correct conformation. It’s no wonder he caught the eye of Highflyer Bloodstock at the 2024 Goffs Arkle Sale.

The Mullet’s sire, Vadamos, won the Group 1 Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp and was also a multiple Group 2 winner. He earned himself a Timeform rating of 126 and over £600,000 in prize money.

Vadamos now stands at Grange Stud in Ireland under the Coolmore banner alongside the likes of Crystal Ocean, Walk In The Park and Yeats. Such is his ability and appeal that he shuttled to New Zealand at the start of his career. He has already sired multiple Group winners on the Flat, including Spycatcher, La Crique and Devaste. He also has some talented performers over Jumps starting to come through now too.

The Mullet’s dam, Go Back Eileen, is responsible for Daytime Friend, who has placed in his only Point-to-Point start so far. She is from the family of nine-time and Grade 1 winning Regal Encore and Listed winner The Organist.

Mr Longsdon was thrilled to secure The Mullet at the sales, he said “I was taken by him in the fact that he was a nice big horse… plenty of size and scope to jump a fence in the long term”. He added that “he’s got a lovely pedigree – he’s got a good, strong, page, plenty to like about, and hopefully he can add to that page”.

The Mullet was broken in earlier this year and has since been gently introduced to life as a racehorse at Charlie Longson’s yard. He has been taught to do everything properly and is coming to hand nicely as a result. The team already thinks a lot of him and expect him to develop further as he goes through the system.

Charlie has also been pleased with everything The Mullet has done since his arrival, noting that he “enjoys work, ears prick most of the time and gets on with it… always got a smile on his face”.

The plan is to prepare The Mullet for a first run in the spring and, if what we have seen from him so far is anything to go by, he should be able to get off to a very promising start.

It’s a great time to get involved with this lovely youngster and an even better time to join the mission to beat prostate cancer.

Charlie trains at Hull Farm, on the outskirts of Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire, where he lives with his wife Sophie and their three children. In 2001 he became Assistant Trainer to Nicky Henderson. Much of his experience came from his time here; he looked after the Grade 1 winners Bacchanal, Marlborough and Trabolgan. Three years later, he won the Alex Scott Memorial Fund Assistant Trainer’s Scholarship and moved to the US, to work for flat trainer Todd Pletcher.

Charlie took out his own licence in 2006 and has since trained over 700 winners and accumulated over £4,000,000 in prize money. Prolific wins include The Becher Chase at Aintree and The Grade 1 Virgin Bet Mare’s Chase at Exeter with Snow Leopardess. Charlie has many long standing owners and has trained winners for some of the biggest names in the National Hunt world including The Queen, JP McManus, The Brooks Family and Alan Halsall.