It's been another good season for Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan, enough to earn them another breeder of the year nomination – though it's hard to remember a season that wasn't a good one for the four-time award winners.
The Cambridge Stud owners bred six black type winners in 2006-07 – four by themselves, one in partnership with Graham de Gruchy and one in partnership with Arthur Kelly.
"It's been a year where our horses have been very competitive, from Able One winning a group one in Hong Kong to breeding a Derby winner in Australia," Sir Patrick said.
"It's been a good year and it's nice to be recognised again."
It's not uncommon for a good proportion of the Hogans' best produce to perform on an international stage, but perhaps unusually, all the stakeswinners they bred won their black type outside New Zealand.
The most important winner was possibly Able One, a Cape Cross gelding out of Gardenia, a mare with hip problems who still walks with a disability. He earned a start in the Breeders' Cup Mile with a win in the Champions Mile in Hong Kong earlier this year.
That victory followed one a few weeks earlier by Fiumicino (Zabeel-Latte) in the best middle distance classic event in Australasia, the AJC Australian Derby.
Respect became a group two winner in the Perth Cup (G2-3200m), while the other black type winners Sir Patrick bred were Maldivian (Melbourne Easter Cup, G3-2000m), Yolo (Newcastle Tibbie Stakes, L-1400m) and Estelle Collection (Moonee Valley Champagne Stakes, G3-1200m).
In addition, Napa Sky was group three placed in Australia, while Melody was listed placed. The Hogans' only black type performer in New Zealand was Manawatu Cup placegetter Zatiger.
As ever, the Hogans were as much in the news for their stallions as for the horses they bred themselves.
As usual, they were headed by Zabeel continuing his remarkable run at the head of the most important premiership for New Zealand-based stallions, the Dewar Award for combined Australian and New Zealand earnings.
Zabeel has now won this 12 consecutive seasons. Even Zabeel's amazing Cambridge Stud predecessor Sir Tristram was short of this tally – he won the Dewar nine times, and the most consecutive wins he achieved was five.
"That's 21 Dewar Awards now between them, which is something I could not have dreamed of," Sir Patrick said.
Zabeel was by the end of the season fourth on the Australian sires list, fourth in Singapore and third in Hong Kong.
The Hogans also had a strong association with another Zabeel colt who performed on the world stage this season. Hong Kong champion Vengeance Of Rain scored a fantastic win for the New Zealand breeding industry when taking out the Sheema Classic (G1-2400m) in Dubai in March, and that followed a winter recuperating at Cambridge Stud, where he was born and reared.
"He's come back to the farm again and may go to Europe next year," Sir Patrick said. "It's been fantastic to be associated with a horse like him."
Zabeel's associate sire Stravinsky had another sound season as well, producing group performers in Australia and New Zealand.
In addition, Cape Cross further vindicated Sir Patrick's judgment in shuttling him to Cambridge Stud for three seasons – among progeny of his conceived at Cambridge Stud that performed on an international stage were New Zealand star Seachange, Hong Kong topliners Able One and Everbright, and the promising Crossing The Line, who this month won a group two race in the United States.
"It was a shame really that Cape Cross hasn't been able to return and was instead taken to Darley in Australia," Sir Patrick said.
"But I still sent five mares to him last year and I have five that I hope can be served eventually this year."
About the only Cambridge Stud run more remarkable than the Dewar Award domination of its stallions is its continuous domination of the New Zealand premier sale ring – Cambridge Stud topped the sale aggregate for the 26th consecutive year with sales of $9.4 million, the best being a $2 million Zabeel-Sunline colt.
There's every likelihood that record will extend further this year, especially as Sir Patrick has made the big decision for him to sell exclusively at Karaka.
Sir Patrick said the national sale was doing very well, though he thought it was important for the sale to concentrate on the New Zealand product.
"The last sale was promoted very well by New Zealand Bloodstock and was a very successful sale, and I think it's important that it remains one of the three best sales in Australasia," Sir Patrick said.
"I think we have got to be careful in New Zealand that we don't allow too many pinhooking horses from overseas, especially at the premier sale. I get a lot of comments from overseas buyers saying that they come to buy New Zealand horses," he added.
"It's good to have some overseas horses for the profile of the sale but the balance is important."
- Alastair Bull
The Cambridge Stud owners bred six black type winners in 2006-07 – four by themselves, one in partnership with Graham de Gruchy and one in partnership with Arthur Kelly.
"It's been a year where our horses have been very competitive, from Able One winning a group one in Hong Kong to breeding a Derby winner in Australia," Sir Patrick said.
"It's been a good year and it's nice to be recognised again."
It's not uncommon for a good proportion of the Hogans' best produce to perform on an international stage, but perhaps unusually, all the stakeswinners they bred won their black type outside New Zealand.
The most important winner was possibly Able One, a Cape Cross gelding out of Gardenia, a mare with hip problems who still walks with a disability. He earned a start in the Breeders' Cup Mile with a win in the Champions Mile in Hong Kong earlier this year.
That victory followed one a few weeks earlier by Fiumicino (Zabeel-Latte) in the best middle distance classic event in Australasia, the AJC Australian Derby.
Respect became a group two winner in the Perth Cup (G2-3200m), while the other black type winners Sir Patrick bred were Maldivian (Melbourne Easter Cup, G3-2000m), Yolo (Newcastle Tibbie Stakes, L-1400m) and Estelle Collection (Moonee Valley Champagne Stakes, G3-1200m).
In addition, Napa Sky was group three placed in Australia, while Melody was listed placed. The Hogans' only black type performer in New Zealand was Manawatu Cup placegetter Zatiger.
As ever, the Hogans were as much in the news for their stallions as for the horses they bred themselves.
As usual, they were headed by Zabeel continuing his remarkable run at the head of the most important premiership for New Zealand-based stallions, the Dewar Award for combined Australian and New Zealand earnings.
Zabeel has now won this 12 consecutive seasons. Even Zabeel's amazing Cambridge Stud predecessor Sir Tristram was short of this tally – he won the Dewar nine times, and the most consecutive wins he achieved was five.
"That's 21 Dewar Awards now between them, which is something I could not have dreamed of," Sir Patrick said.
Zabeel was by the end of the season fourth on the Australian sires list, fourth in Singapore and third in Hong Kong.
The Hogans also had a strong association with another Zabeel colt who performed on the world stage this season. Hong Kong champion Vengeance Of Rain scored a fantastic win for the New Zealand breeding industry when taking out the Sheema Classic (G1-2400m) in Dubai in March, and that followed a winter recuperating at Cambridge Stud, where he was born and reared.
"He's come back to the farm again and may go to Europe next year," Sir Patrick said. "It's been fantastic to be associated with a horse like him."
Zabeel's associate sire Stravinsky had another sound season as well, producing group performers in Australia and New Zealand.
In addition, Cape Cross further vindicated Sir Patrick's judgment in shuttling him to Cambridge Stud for three seasons – among progeny of his conceived at Cambridge Stud that performed on an international stage were New Zealand star Seachange, Hong Kong topliners Able One and Everbright, and the promising Crossing The Line, who this month won a group two race in the United States.
"It was a shame really that Cape Cross hasn't been able to return and was instead taken to Darley in Australia," Sir Patrick said.
"But I still sent five mares to him last year and I have five that I hope can be served eventually this year."
About the only Cambridge Stud run more remarkable than the Dewar Award domination of its stallions is its continuous domination of the New Zealand premier sale ring – Cambridge Stud topped the sale aggregate for the 26th consecutive year with sales of $9.4 million, the best being a $2 million Zabeel-Sunline colt.
There's every likelihood that record will extend further this year, especially as Sir Patrick has made the big decision for him to sell exclusively at Karaka.
Sir Patrick said the national sale was doing very well, though he thought it was important for the sale to concentrate on the New Zealand product.
"The last sale was promoted very well by New Zealand Bloodstock and was a very successful sale, and I think it's important that it remains one of the three best sales in Australasia," Sir Patrick said.
"I think we have got to be careful in New Zealand that we don't allow too many pinhooking horses from overseas, especially at the premier sale. I get a lot of comments from overseas buyers saying that they come to buy New Zealand horses," he added.
"It's good to have some overseas horses for the profile of the sale but the balance is important."
- Alastair Bull
