The Arabian Racehorse - Autumn 2019

Frédéric Sanchez - Stable Focus

The journey from dual champion apprentice to Group 1 PA winning trainer has taken Frédéric Sanchez all around the world, and one which is a long way from conclusion.

Frédéric Sanchez with Hayyan (FR) at Doncaster in September

Born and raised in Aix-en-Provence in France to a family with no racing connections, Frédéric Sanchez's early years were focussed on an entirely different professional sporting career, that of football. He represented his country, and when scoring against Italy at 11- years-old, he felt sure that was where his future lay. However, he failed to grow and was naturally disappointed when it became clear that life as a professional footballer would not be for him. Nonetheless, his small size was to become an asset and it was his father who suggested he become a jockey.

A friend of his father’s advised that it would be better to start at AFASEC (France’s jockey school), so the young Sanchez left home for Chantilly and became apprentice to the English trainer John Hammond. Hammond, who announced his retirement this year, has never had more than 70 horses in his yard despite his top-level success. At that time his stable included horses of the calibre of 1991 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Suave Dancer, a horse that Sanchez would later ride in exercise when his regular work rider was not available, though certainly not at the beginning as Sanchez laughs: “At this stage, I was falling off every day”.

His chance came when Hammond and his assistant David Anderson pitched him against the stable’s other, year older, apprentice in a race. Sanchez finished ahead of his rival and his mentors agreed to try and make him a jockey. He spent the winter in America at Santa Anita honing his skills, and then it was time to go back to France, where he became leading apprentice jockey.

Sanchez won not one, but two Eclipse Apprentice Awards in France (1991,1992) in a riding career which spanned 18 years and over 800 winners. Always in the top ten for his first nine years of riding, at 24 he was given a big opportunity – a three-month riding contract by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Proving a success, he remained for the season, attached to Patrick Biacone, for whom he would ride three Group 1 winners there and another for Tony Cruz.

He never scored at that level in France, though a career highlight was when finishing second in the 1998 Prix de Diane on Abbatiale. A tragedy he feels, as the filly broke down just 20 metres before the line and was beaten by a nose.

In the winters he added to his Hong Kong experience by riding in Japan and Singapore and spent the 2001/2 season in Dubai, with Erwan Charpy as second jockey behind Seb Sanders. At the time Charpy was leading trainer and Sanders, leading jockey. Sanchez laughs: “Tadhg O’Shea was my apprentice, so I hopefully I taught him something!”

Bandar(FR) and Frédéric Sanchez exercise at Meydan

Whilst in Dubai he rode Arabians for HH The President, trained by Julian Smart and Julio Peromingo, as second jockey behind Wayne Smith. He also got his first taste of the Kahayla Classic, finishing sixth to Nez D’Or (Dormane) on Alto De Maligne (Djelfor), trained, like the winner, by Smart.

As he entered his thirties the battle with the scales was beginning to take its’ toll, he explains: “I was the first in my family to do this job, so I had no-one behind me to say keep going.”

He began to consider his options, saying: “I thought I would like to train, but it was never in my mind to have 100 horses, always a small stable, not to retire completely, but to ride and train at the same time.

“In the end, I retired from riding, before I started to train. I had met my wife Stephanie, so it was a perfect way to begin a new life - new wife, new career, we have been together 13 years now. We started in Spain, in San Sebastian, very close to France, so it was easy to cross the border to run there. We trained around 10 to 15 horses and though we had good results over two years, we decided we needed to move to France because of the administration fees.”

They settled in Chantilly and after a three year wait, finally relocated to Pau, their first choice of training centre. They’ve been there for seven years, with around 20 horses, split between Arabians and thoroughbreds. Though not Group class, they have had valuable handicap success with the thoroughbreds, so business is good, however it is with the Arabians, where Sanchez is making his mark.

Sanchez credits his time as a jockey in Dubai for initiating his association with the former President’s son, Sheikh Mansoor, which began rather unpromisingly with the arrival of Thabit. He said: “They brought me one horse and said - he is not a champion, but see what you can do!”

Najah (FR) at La Teste

Thabit went on to win the 2016 Coupe de Sud- Ouest (Gr3PA) at La Teste beating Mabrooka and Sir Bani Yas. More brothers and a sister followed. Bandar was third in the French Derby (Gr1PA) to Nafees and won a Moroccan Group 3PA, before becoming Sanchez’s first runner in the Kahayla Classic. He feels the sister Najah was better, she won the Prix Razzia III (Gr3PA) on her debut and two Group 2 PA’s at Toulouse, but her career was curtailed by injury. It was Hayyan who brought Sanchez his first Group 1PA success this year, winning the both the French Derby and UK Derby’s.

He continued: “So now we have Hayyan, the fourth foal from the mare, Dahwa. With Sheikh Mansoor, he is from the ruling family of Abu Dhabi, they give respect to horses and to people, and they are very honest. I am happy to train for them.”

The family connection is strong with the horses too, as his other Group 1 PA winner, Bayan, is out of Mowafaka, a sister to Dahwa.

Having progressed from a maiden to Group 2 and Group 1 wins in four starts this season, she was a brave sixth at ParisLongchamp in October and will now be put away for 2020.

Hatta International winner Bayan (FR) with Khalil Dababneh, Thierry Delegue, Raphael Delozier, Ioritz Mendizabal, Frédéric and Stephanie Sanchez

Prior to the UK Derby, Sanchez had no desire to see Hayyan run in the World Cup saying: “If he won today, it would be my target for next year, as at four years he is too young. Maybe he will go to Abu Dhabi for the Jewel Crown, but we need to look after our older horses. We will have fewer horses from Abu Dhabi next year, as that crop was a poor season for breeding there.”

Hayyan (FR) and Ioritz Mendizabal

Hayyan’s first Gr1PA win has definitely brought Sanchez more attention, but of course it is different, he says: “When you win as a jockey, you finish the race, you go home, you have drinks or dinner with friends and family. As a trainer you are involved 24 hours a day, every day. I am very close with my staff, which is why I prefer to have a small stable. I like to stay close to my horses, they are the same as my children.”

Gary Sanchez

One of those children, his son Gary, has embraced the new family trade of race riding. He had his first ride under rules on December 3, 2017 when apprenticed to Christiane Head- Maarek, riding his first winner the following year. He accompanied the family’s two runners to Doncaster to ‘lead up’ and is now spending the winter in Qatar with Alban de Mieulle at Umm Qarn, before heading to America in the spring to join Patrick Biancone in Florida; like father, like son.

Since retiring from the saddle Sanchez’s goals have also changed, he had always wanted to train in Hong Kong but now he says: “We are concentrated here, though in the future it would be good to spend the winter in Abu Dhabi and the summers in France - that would be a good target.”

Bandar(FR) with Frédéric Sanchez and Raphael Delozier at Meydan

With two Group 1PA wins under his belt in the UK with Bayan and Hayyan, Sanchez has clearly got a taste for international competition. After finishing out of the money in Abu Dhabi’s Jewel Crown, Hayyan his leading colt, will be rested over the winter and prepared for the premier Group 1 PA’s races in France next year.

Speaking of his overseas training goals he concludes: “Obviously I would like to win the Jewel Crown and maybe the Kahayla Classic, but for the horses it is very tough on the Dirt. I would like to see this race run on the Turf, or maybe it is time they make a new race?”

With the appetite for global Arabian racing competition on the rise, that is surely a thought worth considering in the future.