Lady Mendoza and Rockstar Icon retired as they both prepare to begin their new lives beyond the track
29 Dec 2025
As we prepare to head into 2026, we’re sad to announce that we have made the decision to retire both Lady Mendoza and Rockstar Icon.
It’s been a difficult year for both horses, with each having their own setbacks, but unfortunately they have shown us that they no longer have the desire to race competitively and so following discussions with both trainers, Oliver Cole and Rebecca Menzies, we agreed to call it a day.
They featured a combined 35 times for the Coral Racing Club, giving our members a number of unforgettable racedays which we'll forever be able to look back on with fond memories.
The good news is that both horses have been found amazing new homes where they’ll be able to continue their new lives beyond the track, and we will be sure to stay connected with their new owners throughout 2026 to see how they’re getting on.
Scroll down to read more as we take a look back at their racing highlights.
Lady Mendoza
Lady Mendoza made history for the Coral Racing Club when lining up as our first ever runner in 2022 at Newcastle in a Mares’ Maiden Hurdle, just one week after the club launched. She put in a fantastic performance that day and went on to finish second, securing the first ever prize money shared by members.
Fast forward the clock to today, and despite going on to finish in the frame on several occasions, that debut run eventually proved to be Lady Mendoza’s best performance on the track. She went on to feature a further eight times over hurdles without success before switching to fences, but that didn’t go to plan, so she was soon switched back to the smaller obstacles.
Following a six-month break from December 2024 to May 2025, Lady Mendoza returned to action at Cartmel and there was hope that if she could transfer the spark she’d been showing at home onto the racetrack, that she would be able to land her first career success. Lady Mendoza went on to finish fourth that day, and although that gave us something to work with, she didn’t show anything in her next four starts. As a result of her final efforts this year, we spoke with trainer Rebecca Menzies and came to the agreement that the best course of action would be to retire her.
Trainer Rebecca Menzies and jockey Brian Hughes with Lady Mendoza's Owners at Cartmel in June
It's been a rollercoaster of a journey with Lady Mendoza since becoming the club’s first ever runner, and even though her racing career didn’t pan out how we’d all have hoped, we’re happy that she will now be able to enjoy her new life with a local woman who is connected to Rebecca’s yard and will be introduced to competing, showing and dressage.
A special thank you must go to Rebecca, who was ever so patient with Lady Mendoza and gave her every possibility to deliver the goods on the track. Over the past three years, we’ve had two incredible stable visits with Coral Racing Club members at Rebecca’s yard in County Durham, and she’s always gone above and beyond to give them the best experience.
We’d like to wish Rebecca the best for the future and hope she can continue to go from strength to strength on the racetrack.
Rockstar Icon
Rockstar Icon joined the Coral Racing Club as an unnamed two-year-old back in 2023 and soon became one of our most promising flat runners after finishing second in a competitive novice contest at Haydock in June of that year.
He made it third time lucky when getting off the mark next time out at Lingfield on New Year’s Eve, before being put away for a summer return. His next start came at Newmarket on Guineas weekend and following a superb 5th place finish in a 19-runner handicap, everyone at the club was optimistic of what was to come. He then took the Coral Racing Club and our members to Glorious Goodwood for a memorable day, however, following a disappointing performance, it was later discovered that he was struggling with a horse’s equivalent to hay fever. That unfortunately had a significant impact on his performances, and as a result he was never able to reproduce the ability he showed earlier on in his career.
Rockstar Icon in the parade ring at Glorious Goodwood last year
Oliver Cole was another very patient trainer who put in so much time and effort to try get Rockstar Icon back to his very best, but unfortunately it just wasn’t to be. Following nine racecourse appearances this year without success, after Rockstar Icon’s final run at Wolverhampton in November where he finished last of eight, we had a lengthy discussion with Oliver and agreed that the best decision would be to call it a day and allow Rockstar Icon to continue his life away from the track.
The good news is that he has already been found a wonderful new home in Shropshire with the mother of a friend of Oliver’s, and we will be sure to keep in touch to see how he is getting on.
This isn't the end of Oliver Cole's time as a Coral Racing Club trainer, so stay tuned for an exciting update which we'll be bringing you very soon.
It’s been a difficult year for both horses, with each having their own setbacks, but unfortunately they have shown us that they no longer have the desire to race competitively and so following discussions with both trainers, Oliver Cole and Rebecca Menzies, we agreed to call it a day.
They featured a combined 35 times for the Coral Racing Club, giving our members a number of unforgettable racedays which we'll forever be able to look back on with fond memories.
The good news is that both horses have been found amazing new homes where they’ll be able to continue their new lives beyond the track, and we will be sure to stay connected with their new owners throughout 2026 to see how they’re getting on.
Scroll down to read more as we take a look back at their racing highlights.
Lady Mendoza
Lady Mendoza made history for the Coral Racing Club when lining up as our first ever runner in 2022 at Newcastle in a Mares’ Maiden Hurdle, just one week after the club launched. She put in a fantastic performance that day and went on to finish second, securing the first ever prize money shared by members.
Fast forward the clock to today, and despite going on to finish in the frame on several occasions, that debut run eventually proved to be Lady Mendoza’s best performance on the track. She went on to feature a further eight times over hurdles without success before switching to fences, but that didn’t go to plan, so she was soon switched back to the smaller obstacles.
Following a six-month break from December 2024 to May 2025, Lady Mendoza returned to action at Cartmel and there was hope that if she could transfer the spark she’d been showing at home onto the racetrack, that she would be able to land her first career success. Lady Mendoza went on to finish fourth that day, and although that gave us something to work with, she didn’t show anything in her next four starts. As a result of her final efforts this year, we spoke with trainer Rebecca Menzies and came to the agreement that the best course of action would be to retire her.
Trainer Rebecca Menzies and jockey Brian Hughes with Lady Mendoza's Owners at Cartmel in June
It's been a rollercoaster of a journey with Lady Mendoza since becoming the club’s first ever runner, and even though her racing career didn’t pan out how we’d all have hoped, we’re happy that she will now be able to enjoy her new life with a local woman who is connected to Rebecca’s yard and will be introduced to competing, showing and dressage.
A special thank you must go to Rebecca, who was ever so patient with Lady Mendoza and gave her every possibility to deliver the goods on the track. Over the past three years, we’ve had two incredible stable visits with Coral Racing Club members at Rebecca’s yard in County Durham, and she’s always gone above and beyond to give them the best experience.
We’d like to wish Rebecca the best for the future and hope she can continue to go from strength to strength on the racetrack.
Rockstar Icon
Rockstar Icon joined the Coral Racing Club as an unnamed two-year-old back in 2023 and soon became one of our most promising flat runners after finishing second in a competitive novice contest at Haydock in June of that year.
He made it third time lucky when getting off the mark next time out at Lingfield on New Year’s Eve, before being put away for a summer return. His next start came at Newmarket on Guineas weekend and following a superb 5th place finish in a 19-runner handicap, everyone at the club was optimistic of what was to come. He then took the Coral Racing Club and our members to Glorious Goodwood for a memorable day, however, following a disappointing performance, it was later discovered that he was struggling with a horse’s equivalent to hay fever. That unfortunately had a significant impact on his performances, and as a result he was never able to reproduce the ability he showed earlier on in his career.
Rockstar Icon in the parade ring at Glorious Goodwood last year
Oliver Cole was another very patient trainer who put in so much time and effort to try get Rockstar Icon back to his very best, but unfortunately it just wasn’t to be. Following nine racecourse appearances this year without success, after Rockstar Icon’s final run at Wolverhampton in November where he finished last of eight, we had a lengthy discussion with Oliver and agreed that the best decision would be to call it a day and allow Rockstar Icon to continue his life away from the track.
The good news is that he has already been found a wonderful new home in Shropshire with the mother of a friend of Oliver’s, and we will be sure to keep in touch to see how he is getting on.
This isn't the end of Oliver Cole's time as a Coral Racing Club trainer, so stay tuned for an exciting update which we'll be bringing you very soon.
Related news
Share
