Racing: Hogan's heroine in for fight

Sir Patrick Hogan. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Next week Sir Patrick Hogan will use high-profile Australian trainers to achieve a lifetime milestone.

This afternoon at Trentham they are his mortal enemies.

The breeding guru is set to become the leading vendor by aggregate at the Karaka yearling sales for a staggering 30th straight year.

Lee Freedman, Gai Waterhouse and Tim Martin are strong possibilities to assist that achievement by buying Hogan's Cambridge Stud yearlings at Karaka in a week's time.

Today the trio produce Australian sprinters First Command, Swift Alliance and Monton to stand in the way of Patrick Hogan's burning desire to win the $1 million Berkett Telegraph with his class mare Katie Lee.

Hogan calls his Irish green colours with the light green spots his "All Black colours".

He's extremely proud of them. Proud because he sacrificed seeing them for so many years to allow himself and wife Justine to build what is today one of the world's leading breeding establishments, Cambridge Stud.

When the pair started in 1976, Cambridge Stud was 54ha. He wanted to race horses, but knew he couldn't afford to. "Instead whenever a piece of land nearby came up for sale I bought that."

Cambridge Stud became over 400ha in 1999 and 2000 and Hogan decided his time as an owner had arrived.

"At the present time I've got 54 horses in work in New Zealand, some in partnership. If you boiled it down it's probably 30 100 per cent ownerships." There are a further 12 or 14 in Australia.

"I'm the opposite to how I used to be, I've got too many horses now, but I absolutely love it.

"From the time I see my jockey coming out of the [jockeys'] room in my colours I get excited. Racing horses is a huge thrill to me."

Hogan would have loved to have had the opportunity to race a few of the top-class racehorses he leased out in the early days.

Like AJC Oaks winner Gay Poss, that he leased to Bart Cummings and champion filly and mare Surround.

"If that was today they'd be racing in my 100 per cent ownership."

Through the deeds of Sir Tristram and more recently Zabeel, Cambridge Stud is more closely associated with stamina than sheer speed, but if Hogan is lucky enough to win today's Telegraph it won't be his first group one 1200m victory in New Zealand.

"It was a great thrill buying Diamond Lover for $19,000, giving it to Jillo (Colin Jillings) and winning the Railway in record time."

As he heads to Trentham, Hogan is as realistic as ever.

"I'm not expecting to win. I don't think anyone should expect to win this race and I don't think they do.

"If she [Katie Lee] wins I'll be over the moon.

"If she runs in the first three I'll be absolutely thrilled and if she finishes out of a place and pulls up well I'll be very pleased.

"I actually think she has a better chance in the 1400m Waikato Draught Sprint at Te Rapa."

The future belongs to those who plan for it and no one has planned better.

Sir Patrick Hogan

* The breeding icon is about to set a 30-year record at Karaka.

* But meantime he would just love Katie Lee to win today's $1 million Berkett Telegraph.

* She is one of nearly 70 horses Hogan races here and in Australia.