Adam Sangster impressed with Cambridge Stud

Press, 2 November 1984, Page 37

Adam Sangster impressed with Cambridge Stud

PA Hamilton The high regard which the international racing magnate, Robert Sangster, has for New Zealand thoroughbred management has led to his son being sent to New Zealand for his first grounding in the industry.

Adam Sangster, aged 18, who had not handled a thoroughbred until a month ago, is in the middle of a four-month spell at Patrick Hogan’s Cambridge Stud.

The transition from public school scholar to stud hand has had its share of surprises for him.

“Until I arrived four weeks ago I’d never touched a horse,” Adam said. “After the first day both my feet were bruised and swollen from being trodden on, I could hardly walk.”

The harsh reality of working long hours at the stud came as a shock to the fledgling horseman not used to 5 a.m. starts and sevenday working weeks.

“But I’ve got my confidence with horses now,” he said. “I tried not to be scared as horses can sense when you’re not confident, and I’m slowly becoming used to the hours.”

Adam’s venture to New Zealand came about through the instruction of his wealthy father. Robert Sangster is evidently most impressed with the Cambridge Stud set-up and told his son he would learn more in a week under Patrick Hogan’s guidance than in a month on a stud at home.

Young Sangster is certainly impressed with the intensive Cambridge Stud operation and feels he could have wished for no better training ground.

Adam has recently finished his college years at the famous Harrow public school in London, a stone’s throw from the Ascot racing centre. Rather than continue his education at Oxford University, Adam decided to nurture his already keen racing know-

ledge. “I wasn’t a great worker at school, anyway,” he said. “I spent most of the time at the local bookmaker’s shop following Dad’s horses.” While at Cambridge Stud, Adam has had the chance to follow the early stages of the stud career of Danzatore, a Northern Dancer stallion imported to New Zealand by his father and Patrick Hogan. “Dad is very aware that other Northern Dancer stallions brought out here haven’t performed very well,” he said. “But we’re confident Danzatore will be a success.” Father and son will have much to discuss when they meet in Melbourne for the Melbourne Cup meeting, Adam having somewhat begrudgingly passed over his first weekend off so as to have four

consecutive days leave for the trip. Something else that his trip has shown him is the large extent of his father’s involvement in the southern hemisphere racing industry. “I had no idea how big he was in Australia and New Zealand,” Adam said. “At Caulfield last Saturday he had eight runners and he has about 45 broodmares in New Zealand.”. •

After his period of duty at Cambridge Stud, Adam will leave for Sydney for a twomonth tour of New South Wales studs and stables, including the Sangster enterprise at Rosehill for which Jim Cassidy is stable rider.

Adam will then go to South Africa for a brief study of his father’s racing interests in Cape Town, then on a rafting expedition down the Zambezi River.