Precedence

Courier Mail
9th April

IT might be 42 years since he first bred an AJC Derby winner but, for Sir Patrick Hogan, the hunger remains as strong as ever as he heads to tomorrow's Randwick meeting with a horse he hopes can deliver him a Melbourne Cup.

Precedence, a horse he co-bred and now owns one-third of, is a short-priced favourite to win the Chairman's Handicap.

Sir Patrick has enjoyed many wonderful moments on AJC Derby day, dating back to the 1968 winner Wilton Park, which he bred with his late father.

Bankrolled by the champion father-son team of Sir Tristram and Zabeel, horses bred by Sir Patrick have since won multiple Melbourne Cups, Caulfield Cups and Cox Plates, a Golden Slipper and countless Derbys and Oaks.

A guide to just how successful the breeder has been can be gauged by his not naming former public idol Octagonal among the favourite three horses he has bred, with Surround, Tristarc and Gurner's Lane at the top of the tree.



"I don't leave Octagonal out of it but, if you go back over the past 30 years, I've probably bred more Group 1 winners than any other breeder, so it's a hard question," Sir Patrick said.

Having accomplished everything in breeding, for which his achievements were honoured with a knighthood in 1998, the proud Irish-born New Zealander now wants to win Australia's greatest race as an owner.

"Where I am now, at 71 years old, my greatest desire is to own a Melbourne Cup winner.

"I've been a personal friend of Bart Cummings for 40 years or more and I thought the only way I could possibly win a Melbourne Cup is that, one, Bart trains it, and two, Dato Tan (Chin Nam) has to join me in the partnership.

"In New Zealand I've won the Auckland, Wellington and New Zealand cups. I've also won the top two-mile trotting cup with Mountain Gold. I've got those cups on the table.

"Now I have to get a bit serious in Australia. And first and foremost it's the Melbourne Cup. I'm not going to chase Chin Nam's number or Bart's number, but I need them to help me and it's better to have a piece of the horse with these two guys because they are blessed."

Sir Patrick's Cambridge Stud has been the dominant AJC Derby force in the modern era.

Resident stallion Zabeel has sired the winner four times - Octagonal, Sky Heights, Don Eduardo and Fiumicino - and he is in the box seat to add to the tally with his three runners tomorrow headed by hot favourite Zabrasive.

Fellow Cambridge stallion Keeper is the sire of Kiwi hope Keep The Peace, while Sir Patrick himself races the Savabeel gelding Suyama, although he's not holding his breath for the $71 chance to deliver any miracles.

Zabeel turns 24 this year but is in good health and will line up for a 20th season at Cambridge this spring.