No one knows if the international headliner's sperm count is connected to the treatment he received last year for the serious foot disease laminitis.
In layman's terms, laminitis is degeneration of the hoof and foot and is often fatal.
Two high-profile victims have been Sunline and Thorn Park.
Zabeel lost his entire off-side foot through the laminitis, which has now regenerated and he is fully recovered physically.
Zabeel does not have the nastiness of his sire Sir Tristram, although any number of his stock have traditionally been very tough to deal with, a toughness that has made them impossible racetrack opponents.
Hogan enjoys telling the story of the day when Sir Tristram picked him up by the chest, mercifully dropping him before too much damage was done.
The chest protector he wore from that point is proudly displayed in a cabinet in the entrance to the stabling block at Cambridge Stud.
"Zabeel is so tough and resilient that when he had laminitis the vets, who were also treating Thorn Park, thought it would kill him and that Thorn Park would be okay," said 30-year Cambridge Stud employee and manager Marcus Corban.
"It turned out to be the other way around."
Zabeel's achievements so far - and they are a long way from finished - are too lengthy to mention here, but the Melbourne Cup is now widely recognised as one of the world's toughest races to win.
Zabeel already has three winners on the board: Might And Power (1997), Jezabeel (1998) and Efficient (2007).
"Do you know the greatest memory I'll retain about this horse?" asked Hogan, "him walking at least half the way to the serving barn on his hind feet when he knew he was about to serve a mare.
"He's a great horse. In my 60 years, I don't believe any stallion has contributed to the industry in New Zealand what this horse has. He's been our neon light.
"He's propped up our [Karaka] sale for 20 years and the wonderful thing is that most stallions are seen as over the hill at 20, yet his foals are as good now as they were 10-15 years ago."
That was clearly emphasised when the stud paraded two Zabeel colts out of high-class mares Katy Keen and Ekstreme; two stunners.
"This bloke is a miniature of his sire," said Hogan of the Katy Keen colt, which was a similar colour to his mother and "if anyone is looking for a Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double winner this is the right horse", he said of the Ekstreme colt.
Hogan rates Might And Power a touch ahead of Octagonal as Zabeel's best progeny, with a soft spot for Don Eduardo, understandably perhaps after he made $3.6 million at the sales, going on to win the 2002 AJC Derby.
Hogan said yesterday was not a sad occasion for him.
"It was coming," he said simply.
"What will be sad is the day I have to bury this bloke alongside Sir T here on the front lawn.
"I'll definitely feel that."
