Mahler Mission: Profile, Record, Age & Best Races

The John McConnell-trained Mahler Mission made a big impact in some major staying races over fences in the 2023/24 season and is now being nursed back to full fitness after suffering a setback.

His trainer is playing a patient game with a horse that has relatively few miles on the clock and is still just nine years old.

Name: Mahler Mission

Age: 9

Weight: 11st 5lb

Trainer: John McConnell

Winnings: £152,678

Cheltenham Festival wins: 0

Mahler Mission race stats

Runs	1st	2nd	3rd
15	4	5	2

Mahler Mission Age

Mahler Mission is a nine-year-old gelding, sired by Mahler out of the mare Finnow Turkle. He is a brother to point winner Miss Massey and a half-brother to prolific point winner Timmie Roe. 

Mahler Mission Weight

On his most recent start over fences in Britain, Mahler Mission carried 11st 5lb in the Grand National at Aintree in 2024, where he unseated Ben Harvey at The Chair.

Mahler Mission Record

Mahler Mission came second on his point-to-point debut and then broke his maiden at the third attempt when landing a 2m 4f hurdle at Sedgefield in January 2022, claiming a 14-length victory. 

Another win at Doncaster led to him taking his chance in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, where he finished a creditable seventh as a 66/1 outsider behind The Nice Guy. 

Mahler Mission then went chasing after winning one more hurdle race at Perth and looked set to have a Cheltenham Festival success with the National Hunt Challenge Cup at his mercy before falling when four lengths clear at the penultimate fence, as Gaillard Du Mesnil profited in the 2023 race. 

However, he made a strong recovery with second at the Newbury Gold Cup on his handicap debut in November 2023, a performance even more impressive when trainer McConnell revealed he had lost both of his front shoes in the race. 

From there he went directly to Aintree and the Grand National in 2024, where he was sent off at odds of 18/1 but his race ended prematurely when he unseated Ben Harvey at the 15th fence, The Chair.

On his final outing of the campaign, he finished fourth in the French Champion Hurdle at Auteuil in May.

Mahler Mission Next Race

Mahler Mission has not run yet in the 2024/25 jumps season after suffering a setback at home, though his trainer is optimistic he can recover and have another tilt at Aintree and the Grand National in the future.

Mahler Mission Owner and Cost

Mahler Mission is joint-owned by Colm Herron and the Rockview Racing Syndicate, who were brought into a partnership two years ago.

He was originally bought out of the Tattersalls Ireland Sales in August 2019 by Cormac Doyle for a mere €4,200. 

Mahler Mission Trainer

Mahler Mission is trained by John McConnell at Stamullen in County Meath, Ireland. The Irishman claimed his first Cheltenham Festival winner in 2023 when Seddon landed the Plate. 

The Kildare native is a qualified vet and has been training racehorses since 2001. He has a solid string both over jumps and on the Flat. 

Mahler Mission Official Rating

Mahler Mission has an official BHA rating of 155 over fences. His best Racing Post Racing (RPR) came in the Gold Cup at Newbury in December 2023 when he was second behind Datsalrightgino, achieving a figure of 158. 

Mahler Mission Prize Money

To date in his career Mahler Mission has pocketed £152,678 in prize money for his connections, with his biggest payday coming via that Newbury run in December in December 2023. 

Mahler Mission News

The news that Mahler Mission would miss the entirety of the 2024/25 season was a big setback for McConnell. 

However, he was happy to absorb that blow with his lightly-raced stayer and focus instead on getting Mahler Mission to full health. 

"He had a bit of suspensory trouble so we're going to mind him," McConnell told the Racing Post. 

"He's still only a young horse so hopefully we'll have him back this time next year. He's a big one to lose for the yard so it's a blow. 

"He…was unlucky in the Grand National last season. He jumped the first seven or eight lovely and was in a nice position, but got murdered at the Canal Turn and everything went wrong after that.

"I still have my eye on the National, but we'll have to wait another year."