Robert Sangster 1936-2004: Australians pay respect to man who changed their racing scene.Byline: Andrew ScuttsTributes to Robert Sangster Robert Edmund Sangster (May 23, 1936 - April 7, 2004) was a well-known English thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder. He was British flat racing Champion Owner five times and his horses won many major races, including two Epsom Derbys, four Irish Derbys, two French Derbys, three have poured in from Australia, where the late owner-breeder had a huge influence on the racing industry. Sangster, who had strong connections to Australia through his marriage to socialite Susan Peacock (now Lady Renouf), as well as his vast racing empire, first came to notice Down Under when he won the 1980 Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major annual thoroughbred horse race. Billed as The race that stops a nation, it is for three-year-olds and over, and covers a distance of 3,200 metres. It is generally regarded as the most prestigious "two-mile" handicap in the world. with Beldale Ball. That horse's trainer, the late Colin Hayes Colin Sidney Hayes (AM) (OBE) (1924 – 21 May 1999) was a champion trainer of thoroughbred racehorses based in Adelaide, Australia. During his career he trained 5,333 winners including 524 individual Group or Listed winners. , subsequently became his business partner. Lady Renouf said her former husband had changed the Australian racing industry by bringing in quality stallions. "It was a very new thing to be doing, a little frowned upon by the Jockey Club, but it's been a great success," she told ABC radio. She had planned to meet him this year at the Sydney autumn carnival and yearling sales. She added: "He was diagnosed as seriously ill at the end of January, so all those plans went on hold." The directors of local racing authority Racing Victoria extended their sympathies to Sangster's family and acknowledged the contribution he made to the Australian racing and breeding industries. "His green, royal blue and white racing colours were synonymous with synonymous with adjective equivalent to, the same as, identical to, similar to, identified with, equal to, tantamount to, interchangeable with, one and the same as success and were instantly recognisable by racing fans across the world," said chairman Graham Duff. Trainer Tony McEvoy, who prepares the horses who compete under Sangster's Swettenham Stud banner, said that racing around the world had suffered a great loss. He said: "Sangster was at the forefront of opening up Australia to the thoroughbred world. The legacy he leaves behind is a fantastic team of people, which should ensure the successful future of his racing interests." Larrocha will carry Sangster's famous colours in tomorrow's Easter Cup at Caulfield. Last May, the Danehill four-year-old joined a list of more than 100 individual Group 1 winners Sangster has owned when she landed the South Australian Oaks The South Australian Oaks is a Group 2 Australian thoroughbred horse race for fillies aged 3 years old, over a distance of 2500m. It is held annually at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide. Race History The race was first run in 1951. . Also among those who offered condolences yesterday was Australian Prime Minister John Howard. |
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