How the young John Magnier raided America to build his bloodstock fortune

Robert Sangster later recounted how he then poured himself a ‘generous glass’ of Roederer Cristal champagne, “and I inhaled it as if it was draft lager, and I kept on saying over and over, ‘I like it John. I like it. I really like it.’” It sounds like a scene from a film where the plot is about to go into overdrive. For the young John Magnier, it was the eureka moment. But how exactly did he set a cunning plan in motion that would pave the way for his envious billionaire bloodstock empire? What did he see in America that Ireland sorely lacked? And, given his recent and chastening high-profile defeat in court, what is the ultimate legacy for the man who changed horse-racing in this country forever? On this episode of The Indo Daily, Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Sunday Independent journalist Liam Collins to profile the early days of Magnier and examine how one of our most intriguing and reclusive figures built his fortune. This episode of The Indo Daily was first released in January 2026 The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can see our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalismSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.