3 minute read

With the passing of Sir Patrick Hogan, the New Zealand thoroughbred industry has lost a legendary studmaster, breeder, racehorse owner and king of the Karaka sale ring.

An inductee into both the New Zealand and Australian Racing Hall of Fame, Sir Patrick Hogan established the world-famous Cambridge Stud in the 1970s and went on to wield an influence over the Australasian breeding and racing landscape that few others have matched.

"In my lifetime there has been no greater influence in the New Zealand breeding industry than Sir Patrick Hogan," commented Sir Peter Vela, principal of New Zealand Bloodstock.

"Sir Patrick was instrumental in coming to Philip and I to take the responsibility for the sales company back in 1996. He was inspirational with his guidance in the subsequent years to ensure that the industry was developed in the way that was most beneficial for New Zealand.

"This country was so fortunate to have someone like him; he was a great horseman, his knowledge, what stallions to develop and how to grow the industry, so from every point of view his passing is just so sad.

"He was a hugely significant man for the things we can see and also for his generosity which was perhaps less well known, whether it was someone in need or the many people he shared his knowledge with.

"His name and persona was, and always will be, synonymous with the New Zealand thoroughbred breeding industry and his massive contribution to putting this country on the world stage."

"He will be sorely missed but never forgotten and his legacy will last forever," Vela said.

Sir Patrick had an extraordinary skill for finding superstar sires, putting together a stallion roster that produced over 130 Group One winners and earned 50 individual champion sire awards, including:

Foundation stallion Sir Tristram, who overcame relatively humble beginnings – an initial crop of 37 foals, standing for an introductory service fee of $1,500 – to become one of New Zealand's all-time greats. Commanding a peak service fee of $200,000, he sired a total of 45 individual Group One winners. His highlights include Golden Slipper (1200m) winner Marauding (NZ), along with three winners of the Melbourne Cup (3200m).Sir Tristram's sensational son Zabeel (NZ), who continued the family dynasty with 46 Group One winners of his own, including champion gallopers Octagonal (NZ) and Might And Power (NZ), superstar sire Savabeel, and a Melbourne Cup quinella with Jezabeel (NZ) and Champagne (NZ).A series of other stallions who all sired multiple Group One winners, such as Tavistock (NZ), Burgundy (NZ), Cape Cross, Stravinsky and Keeper.

Together with his wife Justine Lady Hogan, Sir Patrick Hogan himself bred 40 individual Group One winners and earned five New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeder of the Year Awards.

A prized member of their star-studded broodmare band was the iconic Eight Carat (Pieces Of Eight), who was one of only two broodmares in history to produce five individual Group One winners – Octagonal, Marquise (NZ) (Gold And Ivory), Diamond Lover (Sticks And Stones), Mouawad (NZ) (Zabeel) and Kaapstad (Sir Tristram).

Through her daughters, granddaughters and great-granddaughters, Eight Carat features on the pedigree page of more than 50 stakes winners, including champion stayer Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed) and notable sires Commands, Deep Field and Shooting To Win.

Sir Patrick Hogan also achieved significant success as an owner with his distinctive two-tone green colours, perhaps most notably with Katie Lee (Pins). A spur-of-the-moment purchase by Sir Patrick for $340,000 at Karaka 2008, the super-talented grey won eight races including an unprecedented Group One double in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m).

A Karaka Kingpin

The loss of Sir Patrick Hogan will be particularly felt when the Australasian thoroughbred industry convenes at Karaka later this month for New Zealand Bloodstock's 98th New Zealand National Yearling Sales Series – an event that the revered studmaster made his own through 40 years of selling yearlings at Trentham and Karaka.

With Sir Patrick at the helm, Cambridge Stud was leading vendor at New Zealand's National Yearling Sales for 32 years in a row between 1981 and 2012.

He had a hand in multiple slices of New Zealand thoroughbred auction history, including leading the first million-dollar yearling through the ring at Karaka in 1989 – a colt by Sir Tristram out of Surround (NZ) (Sovereign Edition), who was ultimately knocked down for $1.2m.

At Karaka 2000, Sir Patrick Hogan's Cambridge Stud set a record that still stands to this day. Their colt by Zabeel out of Diamond Lover was sold for an extraordinary $3.6m. Named Don Eduardo (NZ), he went on to win the Group One Australian Derby (2400m) and later stood at stud.

Overall, Sir Patrick Hogan sold 11 yearlings at Karaka for $1 million or more. Throughout Cambridge Stud's 40 National Yearling Sales Series under Sir Patrick's ownership, they came away with no fewer than 24 sale-toppers.

Group One winners sold by Cambridge Stud at Karaka during Sir Patrick Hogan's era include the likes of Octagonal, Marquise, Tristalove, Champagne, Don Eduardo, Tavago (NZ) (Tavistock), Tarzino (NZ) (Tavistock), Preferment (NZ) (Zabeel), O'Marilyn (O'Reilly), Linky Dink (NZ) (Keeper), Jessicabeel (NZ) (Zabeel), Fiumicino (NZ) (Zabeel), Kindacross (NZ) (Cape Cross), Keeninsky (NZ) (Stravinsky), St Reims (NZ) (Zabeel), Shower Of Roses (NZ) (Zabeel), Giovana (NZ) (Blues Traveller), Toccata (NZ) (Maroof), Danske (NZ) (Danehill), Foxwood (NZ) (Centaine), Millward (NZ) (Defensive Play), Zacheline (NZ) (Zabeel), Irish Chance (NZ) (Sir Tristram), Isolda (NZ) (Sir Tristram), Dupain (NZ) (Sir Tristram), Popsy (NZ) (Sir Tristram) and Hulastrike (NZ) (Straight Strike).