The iconic Sangster family silks, synonymous with so many great European horses in the last century, could be competing on US soil again with unbeaten G2 winner Isaac Shelby being lined up for a trip to the Breeders’ Cup.
Back in 1984 the filly Royal Heroine put the colours of the late Vernons pools millionaire Robert Sangster – green, blue sleeves and green spotted white cap – in the US spotlight when she enjoyed success at the inaugural event at Hollywood Park, one of three G1 victories she gained on the way to the Eclipse Award as Champion Female Turf Horse.
Now Sangster’s 35-year-old son Sam has designs on the 2022 championships at Keeneland with his syndicate Manton Thoroughbreds, which enjoyed headline success with Isaac Shelby in the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket’s July Festival.
Trained by dual Breeders’ Cup winner Brian Meehan, Isaac Shelby showed 2,000 Guineas potential when he defeated the Godolphin-owned favourite Victory Dance by a head under jockey Sean Levey for his second win from two starts.
The colt is unlikely to run again for a couple of months, keeping to Meehan’s tried-and-tested formula for his better two-year-olds – as Sangster explained.
“Brian has a rule of thumb of only running them four times in the year and if we are thinking about going to the Breeders’ Cup, he would only need one more run to go there,” said the owner.
“He is quite an exciting horse,” he added. “Sean Levey said he felt a little bit weak still at Newmarket and there was more to come from him so we won’t be rushing to put too many miles on his clock at this stage.”
Sangster outlined the Keeneland option for Isaac Shelby. “We are thinking of the Breeders' Cup because he has a lot of speed and a lightning turn of foot,” he said. “He also has a lot of guts. After being headed at Newmarket, he really fought back well to get back up.”
Meehan landed the Turf with Red Rocks in 2006 and Dangerous Midge four years later; both were ridden by Frankie Dettori. “Brian knows the type of horse to take to a Breeders’ Cup,” said Sangster. “As well as that it would be fantastic to take the owners to such an event plus the fabulous prize-money makes it very tempting as well.”
Sam Sangster is the fifth of the six children of Robert Sangster, the Liverpool-born tycoon who transformed horse racing in the late 1970s and 1980s when he became a major investor in Coolmore Stud and sent his horses to be trained by the legendary Vincent O’Brien.
He spent millions buying yearlings by the sire Northern Dancer – an approach that paid off 1977 when The Minstrel recorded the first of the owner’s two Derby wins.
It was the launchpad of an era in which Sangster became a dominant figure on the Turf as a legion of stars carried his colours to major triumphs around the world, including in the Arc, which he won three times with Alleged in 1977 and 1978 and Detroit (1980) plus the 1980 Melbourne Cup with Beldale Ball.
After winning the Irish 2,000 Guineas and Eclipse Stakes, Sadler’s Wells (also by Northern Dancer) was to become one of the the most influential sires of all time, producing 12 British Classic winners, notably Galileo.
Latterly Sangster bought the Manton estate in Wiltshire, where Meehan now trains, enjoying more success with Barry Hills, Peter Chapple-Hyam and John Gosden. He died in 2004.
As an 11-year-old Sam Sangster got an early taste of the sport when he collected the winners' trophy on behalf of his father after Commander Collins won the Superlative Stakes in 1998.
He became involved in racing professionally in 2007 when he moved to Australia to work with older brother Adam at Swettenham Stud. He also worked at Randwick racecourse and then with bloodstock agent Peter Ford, who introduced him to the buying process, taking him to the world’s major bloodstock sales.
With only a fraction of the budget his father had at his disposal, he established Manton Bloodstock in 2015 enjoying early success with Listed winner Smugglers Moon and in 2017 with Barraquero, who won the G2 Richmond Stakes.
“We buy six colts every year and people can buy in at two and half, five and ten per cent, which includes the training fees,” he explained. “Whatever percentage they take, they would have the equivalent in all six horses.”
Sangster went well over his budget to secure Isaac Shelby, a son of 2,000 Guineas winner Night Of Thunder, for £92,000 ($109,000) at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling sale. “I absolutely love the stallion,” said Sangster. “I have followed a lot of his progeny.
“My average budget for the partnership is £40-50,000 so we really had to like him to be giving £92,000. We’ve done eight partnerships now and I haven’t paid that much before. He’s done nothing but prove to us what a professional he is.”
Sangster recognises the historical significance of his father’s silks and is keen to see them back in the big race arena, if not on the same scale as before. “I feel a lot of pride,” he said.
“My father was regarded by so many in this industry as a game-changing man. I am not out there to replicate what he did but only to carry on the name and be as competitive as we can in the top level.
“I wasn’t even born when the likes of The Minstrel and Sadler’s Wells raced but theirs were among the many names I was brought up with.
“The ones I remember better were during Peter Chapple-Hyam’s days at Manton when he trained horses like Revoque, Romanov, Rodrigo De Triano and Dr Devious. I’d be back from boarding school most weekends checking in on them.
“I love using the colours. We are very lucky to have them and the history that goes with them.”
• Visit the Sam Sangster Bloodstock website
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