About Brian

“Racing for me is personal. We are in it to win and to win big! But I also believe it is about the enjoyment of the sport and the adrenaline that comes with it”

Brian set a benchmark for others in the profession to aspire to in years to come when bookending his first season at Manton by winning two of the world’s most valuable races, The Dubai Duty Free Group 1 in the Middle East and The Breeders Cup Turf Grade 1 in the USA, yielding staggering prize money of over £5,000,000. It was an achievement recognised by his peers with Brian and his team being crowned ‘International Trainer of the Year’.

In between that magnificent twin triumph he registered a fine season on the domestic front, highlighted by David Junior’s win in the Group 1 Coral Eclipse at Sandown in mid-summer. Even before the move at the beginning of 2006 to the Sangster family’s legendary estate on the Wiltshire Downs near Marlborough, Brian was widely acknowledged as a trainer going places.

When he set up his own training business in Lambourn in 1993 Brian, the son of a Limerick Orthopaedic Surgeon, had eight horses one of whom was owned by his mentors and great friends Richard and Jo Hannon, to whom he had been assistant trainer for six years. The numbers quickly grew and Newlands Stables was acquired in 1995 which was then developed into a purpose built yard with many cutting edge facilities.
 
“My time in Lambourn was extremely successful, not least our first Group 1 winner provided by John and Poilin Good’s homebred Tomba but just as importantly it’s where I forged lasting relationships with many wonderful owners. It has always been and continues to be one of our main priorities, to look after our owners as best we can. Honesty, professionalism and of course fun! Owners are the main contributors to our wonderful industry and when in Lambourn and now here at Manton their involvement and recognition of their commitments has to be the priority”

Brian’s progress since those fledgling days has been admirably consistent and, apart from those already mentioned, his Group 1 wins include The Champion Stakes, The St James’s Palace Stakes, The Racing Post Trophy, a second Breeders Cup Turf, The Prix Morny(twice), The Prix de la Foret, The Cheveley Park Stakes (twice), The Grosser Dallmayr Preis in Munich, The Gazelle and The Man O’War, both at Belmont Park USA. It therefore came as no surprise that after John Gosden left Manton, the Sangster family headhunted Brian to take over what many will argue is the most outstanding training establishment in the world.

Years later, Brian is still training at the highest level and he and his wife Jax have now bought their share of the Manton Estate; Manton Lodge where Jax and Brian live with children Katie, Felix, Frank and Jasper., “Manton is a wonderful place for young people to grow up and our kids love it here. It’s also close to the town of Hungerford where my wife Jax has a boutique and styling business, Jax Jeans at Barrs Yard ,which keeps her extremely busy not to mention her enthusiastic contribution to Brian Meehan Racing!”.

Also included is The Astor Yard with its unrivalled facilities, enabling him to continue to achieve more Group/Graded Stakes successes and to maximise the number of winners for each of the seasons ahead. “I believe one of the key elements to our success over the years, both in Lambourn and now here at Manton, is the first class team of staff that we’ve put together; they all work very hard and our attention to detail being the key to our continued success with over 60 Group/Graded Stakes races won throughout the World. One of the many proud attributes of my team has been the successful shipping of Group/Graded Stakes winners around the World with successes on four continents to date. A remarkable achievements from any sporting team”.

“It would be my pleasure to show you around our state-of-the-art set up, meet my top class team and see the horses working on the legendary gallops and of course enjoy our hospitality too!”.