In an exceptional year for Kiwi-bred horses and breeders worldwide, the Hogans were represented by three individual winners of six Australian Group One contests, and a further 13 stakes performers. They have now won the prestigious title on five occasions, following their awards in 1994/95, 1995/96, 1996/97 and 2003/04.
The Victorian Spring Carnival started the season off well for Sir Patrick and Lady
Hogan, with Tarzino winning the Group One
VRC Derby, and Preferment, bred in partnership, winning the Group One Turnbull
Stakes, also at Flemington.Autumn was just as kind with Preferment adding the Australian Cup G1 in Melbourne before heading to Rosehill in Sydney to claim the prestigious weight-for-age event The BMW G1.
Rosehill was also a happy hunting ground for Tarzino, who won the Group One Rosehill Guineas. Tavago, also by Tavistock and also co-bred by the Hogans, then took out the ATC Australian Derby at The Championships to become Group One winner number three.
"I have bred the winners of a number of Derbies but the Australian Derby is the Derby of all Derbies, it's the ultimate and to nail another one is such a thrill," said Sir Patrick at the time.
The Hogans have now bred three Australian Derby winners: Tristarc (Sir Tristram [IRE]- Renarc) in 1985, Don Eduardo (Zabeel-Diamond Lover) in 2002 and Tavago (Tavistock-Sara Ann) in 2016 - one by each of their three champion stallions.
This season Cambridge Stud's young sire Tavistock has swept all before him, emerging
as one of Australasia's most exciting young sires, with two Derby winners in
Australia and Hong Kong Horse of the Year Werther, winner of the Hong Kong
Derby and the Queen Elizabeth II Cup G1.Tarzino is the fifth foal of the Zabeel mare Zarzino, and the last bred by the Hogans before they sold her in foal to Tavistock in 2014. Zarzino is a sister to the Group Two Perth Cup winner Respect and a half-sister to the juvenile Group One winner Kindacross. Their dam Kindness (Star Way[GB]-Vice Reine) is a sister to the multiple Group One winner Sky Chase, from the family of top-class racehorse and leading sire Vice Regal.
Tavago is the fourth foal of the unraced Stravinsky [USA] mare Sara Ann, a sister to multiple Group winner La Sizeranne and blood sister to Melbourne Group 3 winner Estelle Collection (Stravinsky [USA]- Ana Zeel), the dam of World Champion Sprinter & Australian Horse of the Year Lankan Rupee.
This is the family of Group 1 winners Grosvenor (also a leading sire), National Gallery, Dalmacia, Mahaya, Gay Poss and Australian Horse of the Year & Champion Sire Lonhro.
Sir Patrick explains, "Justine and I bought Sweet Wren, the fourth dam of Sara Ann, at a deceased estate sale by tender from the Public Trust. Colin Hayes was the under-bidder and she was described as being not in foal, but we consequently ended up with a filly Sweet Time, by Summertime, and she became the dam of Gay Poss.
"My late sister Pat Kelly owned the mares with Justine, originally, then Pat's late husband Arthur shared in the breeding as well, now it's their son John and his wife Chris that are our partners in Sara Ann."
Sara Ann is safely in foal to Tavistock and has a weanling Tavistock filly who Sir Patrick thinks he might just have to keep.
Preferment, recently named the NZTBA Waikato Branch Horse of the Year, was co-bred on a foal share arrangement by the Hogans with NZTBA Waikato members Michael & Helen Moran and Barbara & Leo Anselmi. By the mighty Zabeel, Preferment is now the winner of five races, four of them at Group One level.
Besides the deeds of Tavistock, now the sire of nine individual stakes winners, four in Group One company, Cambridge Stud's former flagship sire Zabeel has continued to shine this year. When Provocative won the Queensland Oaks in June she became his 45th individual Group One winner - equalling Zabeel's illustrious sire Sir Tristram.
After 40-odd years in business at Cambridge Stud, Sir Patrick has stated recently that, although he may be cutting down on his workload and time at the farm, it will be business as usual going forward. Given that commitment, few would bet against a future sixth Breeder of the Year award gracing the Hogans' trophy cabinet.
NZTBA Release
