Sarrera (Quest for Fame x Zamsong by Zabeel), a dual Group 1 winner in Australia, is a tribute to the tenacity of a top Australasian family. More impressive than his recent form is the fact that he is a 7 year old that faced two major setbacks that could have ended his racing career, and would have ended a racing career for many lesser horses or connections.
Sarrera's battles with a bowed tendon and major intestinal surgery are well-documented. Trainer Mike Moroney has hardly been secretive regarding the gelding's setbacks of the past and now looks forward to a Cox Plate campaign.
Sarrera's part-breeder Sir Patrick Hogan isn't surprised. "I'm more surprised at his comeback than his talent. I give huge credit to Mike Moroney to persevere to get the horse right and allow him to show that true toughness he has, says Sir Patrick.
"He's been plagued with setbacks and the potential must have always been therewith his breeding and family. I'm not surprised he's risen to the occasion and become a dual Group 1 winner, he continues.
"When you look at all the great horses in that family like Purple Patch, Filene, Beau Zam, and Surround, it's a family that has shown enormous toughness and heart. It's a toughness that is particular to that family that has now shown up in Sarrera."
Sarrera's grand dam, the unraced Zamazan mare Zamcherie, is the 5th foal out of the Sovereign Edition mare Belle Cherie. Belle Cherie is most famously the dam of Beau Zam and is out of a full sister to Micheline named Mia Bella (Le Filou x Dulcie). Micheline has been very influential as the dam of Purple Patch (by Pakistan II) as well as Surround (by Sovereign Edition).
"It's a family that I had a lot to do with through Surround and Beau Zam. I bred Surround many many moons ago and have great respect for the family," says Sir Patrick.
Thus it was no coincidence that Sir Patrick was poised to bid on Zamcherie as a yearling. "I remember she went through the sale ring at Trentham many years ago and she made $90,000. Lester Burney purchased her. I was also very keen to purchase the filly but he outbid me. So the end result was I went to have a yarn with him and told him how keen I was on the filly and we ended up going halves in the filly," says Sir Patrick.
That conversation was the start of a business partnership and a friendship that extends beyond the breeding industry. "We have a great relationship, Lester and I. We're great mates and today we own 10 broodmares together and the progeny mainly all go to the sales in Australia. Sarrera's success represents the success of our relationship, says Sir Patrick.
"Lester has a small boutique stud in Australia called Werai Stud. We own a number of mares together and breed mainly in Australia with them domiciled in Australia. When Zamcherie finished her career we went to Zabeel and the first filly foal we got was Zamsong, who we decided to keep and breed from, he continues.
"It (Sarrera) was a mating that Lester and myself chose for the simple reason that we liked the matchup on pedigree at the time. We thought Quest for Fame would be the right horse for the Zabeel mare," he says.
It's hard to question the judgement of the captain of the New Zealand thoroughbred breeding industry. Ever-faithful to superior bloodlines and the old adage "breed the best to the best", Sir Patrick's success continues.
- Stacey Akers
Sarrera's battles with a bowed tendon and major intestinal surgery are well-documented. Trainer Mike Moroney has hardly been secretive regarding the gelding's setbacks of the past and now looks forward to a Cox Plate campaign.
Sarrera's part-breeder Sir Patrick Hogan isn't surprised. "I'm more surprised at his comeback than his talent. I give huge credit to Mike Moroney to persevere to get the horse right and allow him to show that true toughness he has, says Sir Patrick.
"He's been plagued with setbacks and the potential must have always been therewith his breeding and family. I'm not surprised he's risen to the occasion and become a dual Group 1 winner, he continues.
"When you look at all the great horses in that family like Purple Patch, Filene, Beau Zam, and Surround, it's a family that has shown enormous toughness and heart. It's a toughness that is particular to that family that has now shown up in Sarrera."
Sarrera's grand dam, the unraced Zamazan mare Zamcherie, is the 5th foal out of the Sovereign Edition mare Belle Cherie. Belle Cherie is most famously the dam of Beau Zam and is out of a full sister to Micheline named Mia Bella (Le Filou x Dulcie). Micheline has been very influential as the dam of Purple Patch (by Pakistan II) as well as Surround (by Sovereign Edition).
"It's a family that I had a lot to do with through Surround and Beau Zam. I bred Surround many many moons ago and have great respect for the family," says Sir Patrick.
Thus it was no coincidence that Sir Patrick was poised to bid on Zamcherie as a yearling. "I remember she went through the sale ring at Trentham many years ago and she made $90,000. Lester Burney purchased her. I was also very keen to purchase the filly but he outbid me. So the end result was I went to have a yarn with him and told him how keen I was on the filly and we ended up going halves in the filly," says Sir Patrick.
That conversation was the start of a business partnership and a friendship that extends beyond the breeding industry. "We have a great relationship, Lester and I. We're great mates and today we own 10 broodmares together and the progeny mainly all go to the sales in Australia. Sarrera's success represents the success of our relationship, says Sir Patrick.
"Lester has a small boutique stud in Australia called Werai Stud. We own a number of mares together and breed mainly in Australia with them domiciled in Australia. When Zamcherie finished her career we went to Zabeel and the first filly foal we got was Zamsong, who we decided to keep and breed from, he continues.
"It (Sarrera) was a mating that Lester and myself chose for the simple reason that we liked the matchup on pedigree at the time. We thought Quest for Fame would be the right horse for the Zabeel mare," he says.
It's hard to question the judgement of the captain of the New Zealand thoroughbred breeding industry. Ever-faithful to superior bloodlines and the old adage "breed the best to the best", Sir Patrick's success continues.
- Stacey Akers
