All roads lead to Royal Ascot at this time of the year and a large contingent of Australians headed up the M4 after visiting the Sangster family’s Manton Estate earlier this week.

Adam Sangster hosted 220 visitors at Manton which has Australian links going back to the 1870s when Alec Taylor trained Carbine’s sire Musket at the historic Wiltshire property.

“The open day was an enormous success,” Sangster said. “The marquee was popular with roast-hog spits, magnums of rose and strawberries and cream. We also had Paul Mathieu along and he spoke about the Australian connections in his book Masters of Manton.”

Members of the Black Caviar group were also invited in the countdown to the G1 Golden Jubilee Stakes this Saturday. Swettenham has close ties with the world champion mare since selling her as agent at the 2008 Melbourne Premier yearling sale.

Swettenham shuttler Equiano was the star of the show before going into quarantine for his second season in Australia and Manton trainer Brian Meehan paraded his Royal Ascot runners.

Meehan’s colt Most Improved (Lawman) came out to win the G1 St James’s Palace Stakes and the tourists took the tip at $10. He has always been held in high regard and had encountered severe interference in the French Derby last time out.

Manton’s runners for the rest of Royal Ascot include:

Thursday

MISSISSIPPI (Exceed And Excel) – Britannia Stakes

Friday

YAZDI (Galileo) – G3 Queen´s Vase

Saturday

FREGE (Johar) – LR Chesham Stakes

ELUSIVITY (Elusive City) – Wokingham Stakes

Equiano will stand for a $13,000 (inc gst) early-bird fee at Swettenham’s Nagambie nursery this year.

EQUIANO
Swettenham shuttler relaxing at Manton before going into quarantine

MANTON PARADE
Brian Meehan’s runners parade before Royal Ascot

MANTON MARQUEE
Visitors tucked into roast hog followed by strawberries and cream