By MIKE DILLON
We all know Sir Patrick Hogan loves Zabeel.
For most of us it would be the money.
For Sir Patrick it is something much more precious to the Irish horseman in him.
The $70 million-plus money machine provides the buffer for Sir Patrick's Cambridge Stud to stay ahead of the opposition.
For two decades, Cambridge Stud stood alone in terms of class in the New Zealand thoroughbred nursery.
Sir Tristram ensured it.
As great as Sir T was, Sir Patrick knows he would not still have total command of centrestage were it not for Zabeel.
"He's my sole margin over the rest," said a candid Sir Patrick during yesterday's parade of the fillies Cambridge Stud will send to the Karaka sales starting on February 1 and ending on February 8.
Despite the dominance of New Zealand's newest knight, or perhaps because of it, a handful of other major players have suddenly sprouted up around the oasis that was Cambridge Stud with a plethora of richly-bred international broodmares and stallions.
It makes the catalogue for the Premier Sale on February 1, 2 and 3 look light years away from the same sale draft of two or three years ago and Sir Patrick welcomes the challenge to his previously undisputed supremacy. "There is no doubt that this catalogue is 200 per cent, perhaps 250 per cent up on what was the case two and three years ago and that is simply fantastic for the industry as a whole.
"If it were not for Zabeel I would be just one of the major players.
"I'd just be out there with the rest of them."
The competition does not scare New Zealand's most famous horseman.
A dramatic increase in buyer strength created by the better catalogue guarantees there will be no dollar shortfall all round.
"You know, in the early days we struggled to make our market worldwide, despite the hype that we had the pasture to breed horses the equal to any in the world.
"But with the fabulous increase in the quality of the pedigrees we now have the families that horse people all over the world are looking for. Instead of previously having to drag international buyers here, they now walk through the gate." The market was truly international and that had been fought for very hard.
"The most exciting thing for me is that million-dollar mares like Champagne, Jezabeel, Tycoon Lil and, hopefully, Sunline are being retired to stud in New Zealand.
"Previously mares of that quality were being sold overseas as readily as they were being made. The fact that they are now able to stay here really says it all about how strong our industry is."
Sir Patrick says he is not a pumper-up of the likely result of the sale, but adds this year cannot help but be a boomer.
"I don't think buyers will have to pay any more for their purchases this year than, say, last year, but I believe the aggregate and the average will be well up.
"Because of the terrific international interest there will simply be more money spread around the better lots.
"Whereas last year there were perhaps 20 lots at $200,000 and more, this year, because of the buyers bench, there is like to be more than double that amount."
Cambridge Stud has 10 Zabeel fillies going to the premier session which paraded among the 29 lots yesterday and Hogan admits to two personal choices -- a filly from the Irish mare Best Image, who left group one winner Dupain to Sir Tristram, and a filly from the Success Express mare Forever Dancing, a gorgeous-bodied filly with a keen eye and inte
lligence.
"I always like to have a tip and the Forever Dancing filly is my tip to top the fillies," said Sir Patrick.
Racing: One horse puts stud in front by lengths
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