New import Saganti has first start for Price and Kent Jr in Group 3 Rosehill Gold Cup

Trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr have opened up a Sydney barn at Rosehill Gardens ahead of Saturday’s massive feature card at the track, where they will unveil highly-rated import Saganti in the Rosehill Gold Cup.

Michael Kent Jr first spotted Saganti while on honeymoon in Europe and knew he had to have him.

Between celebrations with his new wife Ali Berwick, Kent Jnr spent two days in Chantilly inspecting horses and was immediately drawn to the son of Zarak.

“I got shown maybe 20 horses in 10 different stables and walked away with one horse on my mind and it was Saganti,” Kent Jnr said.

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“He is a great colt by Zarak, who is a great young sire, and was trained by Mikel Delzangles and owned by the Aga Khan but at the time he wasn’t for sale.

“I ran into (OTI’s) Terry Henderson at Royal Ascot, who had also been looking at this horse so we were able to negotiate a deal after his last start.”

Saganti, a winner of one of his eight starts, finished sixth in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris (2400m) at Longchamp at his final European start.

On Saturday he will make his Australian debut for trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr in the Group 3 $750,000 Rosehill Gold Cup (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens with Chad Schofield aboard.

Saganti has been preparing for his Australian debut at Canterbury Park.

“He is a very cool horse and just has so much energy, a beautiful action,” Kent Jnr said.

SAGANTI breaks his maiden second time out

Zarak 2yo, 1/2 bro to Gr1p Sagamiyra SP Shahzad@[e-mail]/nIswOBLqaN

— Pedigree Update (@pedigreeupdate) August 30, 2023

• Shayne O’Cass’s tips, analysis for Rosehill on Saturday

“He has some very nice form around the best horses in France but like all these imports, he just has to bring that form out here.

“But it will be no easy task on Saturday in a strong race with some nice horses.”

Saganti’s Australian debut comes on an important occasion for Kent Jnr and Price.

The have officially opened up a Rosehill Gardens base from Friday with 16 boxes at the track.

“It’s been a little dream of ours to open up a satellite base in Sydney,” Kent Jnr said.

“Mick for a long time, and now with me, we’ve long stayed at Rosehill since we’ve visited Sydney and have had a lot of success there with the likes of I’m Thunderstruck in the Golden Eagle and Jacquinot in the Golden Rose.

“We’ve had six horses there in boxes for the past five months and our horses have earnt over $1.8 million in prizemoney so we’ve established a really good team with our assistant there Ben Elam.”

Originally published as New import Saganti has first start for Price and Kent Jr in Group 3 Rosehill Gold Cup