Five minutes with... Angus Gold

Angus Gold - Shadwell Stud

TDN AusNZ: Where are you from and what is your earliest racing memory?

Angus Gold: I grew up in Hampshire, one hour south of London and rode as a child - I started watching racing from there, and then went to work for the trainer, Ian Balding, near my home and completely fell in love with the sport there and then.

TDN AusNZ: Which is your favourite racehorse of all time? Why?

AG: Obviously after a lifetime in racing one has many happy memories of great horses, so it is hard to choose one particular stand out – from my early days I loved a horse called Bustino (GB) who was a great racehorse and a tremendous character as a stallion when I worked at Sandringham Stud, and in the modern era I would have to go for Sea The Stars (Ire) who had speed, stamina and an outstanding attitude and was everything you could ask for in a racehorse – on top of that he has turned into a world-class stallion.

TDN AusNZ: Do you have a favourite day on a racecourse? Why?

AG: I would have to say Jeune’s (GB) Melbourne Cup in 1994 – I only arrived in Melbourne that morning without a hotel room booked and had to get a taxi to the racecourse, and 12 hours later to be walking around the racecourse carrying the Melbourne Cup was a humbling and amazing experience.

Other than that I would say Dawn Run (Ire) (Deep Run {Ire}) winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1986, completing the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup double which had never been achieved before was exceptional, and for sheer drama the 1990 Breeders' Cup day at Belmont Park would take some beating.

TDN AusNZ: Could you tell us how you got into this industry, about your job now and what you love most about it?

AG: I started riding out for trainers and then did three stud seasons at the National Stud and Sandringham Stud, coupled with some experience at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky. My job now is managing Sheikh Hamdan’s global racing operation (with the exception of America), and this largely entails liaison between Sheikh Hamdan and all his trainers keeping him informed with plans for all his horses.

If you love horses the whole thing is enjoyable, though if I had to pick one particular aspect it would be standing on the gallops at 5.30am on a beautiful summer’s morning watching the work with various trainers, is the part of my job I enjoy the most.

TDN AusNZ: Who do you believe to be a value sire for the upcoming breeding season? Why?

AG: In Europe I very much like the look of Sea The Moon (Ger) who was a world-class racehorse and is starting to post some impressive results with his stock, while remaining under the radar. I also like the look of Masar (Ire) who was a well bred Derby winner with a turn of foot and exactly the sort of horse we need at stud in Europe.

Also, I like the look of the first crop of Awtaad (Ire), one of the young Shadwell stallions who won the Irish Guineas and for a horse who you would not expect to get early 2-year-old's his stock are showing plenty of promise at this stage of their career.

TDN AusNZ: Is there a stallion that you consider to be under the radar?, and why?

AG: In Australia, I am a big fan of So You Think (NZ) who was a world-class racehorse and seems to be doing a very good job at stud, and I also like the look of Puissance De Lune’s (Ire) results down in Victoria – he is a well-bred son of Shamardal (USA) and gives mare owners a proper chance at a sensible price.

One of our own stallions Tamayuz (GB) who stands at €10,000 (AU$16,321) in Ireland consistently gets a decent horse and has always been under the radar.

TDN AusNZ: Which stallion, ever, do you think was the best type?

AG: In recent years I remember being blown away by Redoute’s Choice when I first saw him – he was a big horse who stood over plenty of ground but had incredible presence – of the current generation you would be hard pushed to see a better looking horse than I Am Invincible.

TDN AusNZ: Which first-season sire (other than your own) do you believe is most exciting?

AG: Unfortunately, I didn’t get to the sales in Australia this year so I cannot comment on the coming crop of first-season sires there.

In Europe, I have liked the start made by the Shalaa’s (Ire) together with a young Kodiac (GB) horse called Adaay (Ire) and another son of Invincible Spirit (Ire) called Territories (Ire) who has some very good looking stock last year.

TDN AusNZ: What was your favourite weanling, yearling or mare purchase this year?

AG: I particularly liked a Siyouni (Fr) x America Nova (Fr) (Verglas {Ire}) yearling colt that we bought for a great deal of money at Book 1 at Tattersalls last year who is now in training with William Haggas and giving everybody the right signs so far, together with a Cable Bay (Ire) colt out of Coin A Phrase (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) that we bought at Book 2 who is a big scopey horse with Richard Hannon.

TDN AusNZ: Who do you think is a rising star within the industry? (Person not horse).

AG: I am not trying to avoid the question but I see so many impressive young people making their way in the business now that it would be impossible to single out one in particular – however, I think that the quality of young people coming into the industry worldwide has never been higher which augurs very well for the future of our business.

TDN AusNZ: What positive change would you like to see in the industry?

AG: In England, the prizemoney situation was already very embarrassing on an international scale pre COVID-19, and certainly we have to get the industry on a firmer financial footing in this part of the world.

In global terms, I would like to see people stand up for racing more – in my opinion racing does a lot of things very well and has nothing to apologise for, and I would like to see it better promoted in the face of misinformed criticism of the racing industry.

TDN AusNZ: If you weren’t in this industry what would you do?

AG: Historian, or an international wine consultant like Michel Rolland.

TDN AusNZ: How did you keep busy in isolation?

AG: From my point of view not much changed except for the lack of day-to-day racing – obviously the horses were still being exercised so I was in constant touch with the trainers, though like everybody I was relieved to see the return of racing to keep the industry’s wheels turning.