Sir Patrick Hogan backs raiders in Melbourne Cup but questions the ‘easy ride’ for visitors into race

THE internationalisation of the Melbourne Cup was a necessity, according to acclaimed Kiwi breeder Sir Patrick Hogan, but he has reservations about the ‘easy ride’ the visitors get into race.

Sunlight takes out the Coolmore Stud Stakes. Picture: AAP

SIR Patrick Hogan, the acclaimed New Zealand breeder, maintains the internationalisation of the Melbourne Cup has only enhanced the great race.

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But Hogan bemoaned the lack of local staying talent and questioned the “easy ride” the northern hemisphere-trained stayers get into the Melbourne Cup field

Hogan, 79, has bred seven Melbourne Cup winners from famous Cambridge Stud in New Zealand where he stood champion sires Sir Tristram and his son, Zabeel, and he is a part-owner of Zacada, the $151 rank outsider of Tuesday’s race.

“I think the right thing has happened,’’ Hogan said when asked him about the internationalisation of the Cup.

“If we were putting 24 horses forward from those bred in New Zealand and Australia today it would not be much of a field, that is my opinion anyway.

“We are lacking the number of stayers in New Zealand that we were breeding and Australia is very light on the ground for two mile horses anyway.’’

There are a record equalling 11 northern hemisphere-trained stayers in the Melbourne Cup field including $5 favourite Yucatan.

“The only criticism I have is that the international horses get too easy a rice into the race,’’ Hogan said.

“They win qualifying races in the northern hemisphere and I don’t think some of those qualifying races that give them entry into the Melbourne Cup are any better than some of the races that are held in Australia and New Zealand that don’t qualify them.

“The reason for that, I think, is the marketing and promotion of the race. They (VRC) don’t want just the horses, they want the international owners that are huge successful, they want them down here at the carnival.

“I do think they get an unfair advantage but in no way do I think they should not be coming here. For me, they add to the race.’’

Michael Walker and A Prince Of Arran combine to win the Lexus Stakes.

Hogan revealed he has never owned a Melbourne Cup winner and is “hoping for the best” from Zacada, who will start from the extreme outside barrier.

“I’ve had a big run in the Melbourne Cup but never had a winner as an owner,’’ he said.

“I’ve had two individual runners, Precedence and Lashed. I think I drew 24 with Lashed and she finished 24th. Realistically, we need rain for Zacada.

“But if we can tag on to the favourite, who drew 23, we know we can run two miles and he may choke down — and you can quote me.”

GODOLPHIN APPEARS TO BE ON A WINNER

IT can be easy to forget James Cummings is only 30 years of age.

He might have been born to train but he has taken to the head training role at Godolphin like someone considerably older and more experienced.

Cummings is a perfect fit for Godolphin. He’s articulate, media savvy, modest — and he gets results.

He had a sensational Saturday with six winners across three venues, including his Derby Day treble at Flemington — Best Of Days in the Group 1 Kennedy Mile, Osborne Bulls in the Group 2 The TAB Stakes and Ranier in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes.

He also had a double at Rosehill Gardens with Roheryn and Schubert, and prepared Restrained to win at Newcastle.

Since Cummings took over at ­Godolphin less than two years ago, he has trained more than 300 winners, including seven at Group 1 level.

He produced a training masterstroke to bring Best Of Days back in distance and add blinkers before taking out the Kennedy Mile.

Osborne Bulls and Hugh Bowman take out the TAB Stakes. Picture: AAP

EVEREST FORM RISES TO THE OCCASION

OSBORNE Bulls and Le Romain franked The Everest form at Flemington on Saturday.

Osborne Bulls finished fast to win his Group 2 race, while Le Romain was brave in his close second to Best Of Days in the Group 1 mile.

Both had come out of The Everest last month when Redzel defeated Trapeze Artist. Osborne Bulls edged out Le Romain for third.

Kris Lees, trainer of Le Romain, said he would probably spell his stable star, while Cummings hasn’t ruled out starting Osborne Bulls in the Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic next Saturday against dual Everest champ Redzel.

Cummings also hinted that Osborne Bulls could be the ideal type to campaign internationally next year.

The Al Quoz Sprint at the Dubai World Cup meeting has been mentioned as a possible option.

WEIR AND WALLER SHOW SOMETHING TO BEHOLD

CHAMPION trainers Chris Waller and Darren Weir have been trading blows at Group 1 level. One trainer prepares a major race winner and his rival soon strikes back.

The two again sparred at Flemington when Waller had Shillelagh win the Empire Rose Stakes before Weir hit back with a Victoria Derby triumph from Extra Brut.

Waller now has eight Group 1 wins for the season but Weir is staying in touch with five.

J-MAC THE LEADER OF THE PACK

JAMES McDonald’s winning effort on Shillelagh is going to be hard to beat for the ride of the spring carnival.

It was a nerveless piece of horsemanship as McDonald guided Shillelagh through small gaps near the inside rail to win running away.

McDonald was in rare form on Derby Day with placings in the other three Group 1 races on Le Romain (second, Kennedy Mile), Zousain (second, Coolmore Stud Stakes) and Chapada (third, Victoria Derby), as well as a luckless second on Brimham Rocks (Lexus Stakes). He rides ­favourite Yucatan in the Melbourne Cup.

SUNLIGHT SHINES ON REMARKABLE RECORD

THE Tony McEvoy-trained Sunlight’s courageous effort to hold off Zousain and Lean Mean Machine in the Coolmore Stud Stakes completed a rare Group 1 trifecta for her sire, Widden Stud’s emerging Zoustar.

Sunlight also continued an extraordinary equine family tradition for the sire. Zoustar won the Coolmore Stud Stakes in 2013, grandsire Northern Meteor won the same race in 2008 and so did great grandsire ­Encosta De Lago in 1996.

Sunlight, ridden by Luke Currie, takes out the Coolmore Stud Stakes.

PLENTY TO LIKE ABOUT PERFORMANCES

ROHERYN was spectacular, Time To Reign could be a Golden Slipper contender, while Newsfan and Cradle Mountain were brilliant in their comeback wins.

For a low-key, off-carnival Sydney Saturday meeting at Rosehill Gardens, this could turn out to be a significant form reference this season with four impressive winners.

The most striking was Roheryn, a superbly bred son of super sire Lonhro out of Mannington, herself a daughter of Bint Marscay and the producer of Group 1 winners Romneya and Benicio.

The James Cummings-trained Roheryn is bred to be good — and he is. The three-year-old colt was having only his second start but maintained his unbeaten record.

REIGN FAR FROM OVER

TIME To Reign also protected his perfect record, making it two wins from his only two starts, when he led throughout to win the juvenile opener.

Gary Portelli is a master trainer of juveniles and he prepared Time To Reign’s half-sister, She Will Reign, to win the Golden Slipper last year.

IMPRESSIVE RETURNS

TRAINERS Kim Waugh and Clare Cunningham would have taken a lot from the comeback wins of Newsfan and Cradle Mountain at Rosehill.

DUFF’S ROSEHILL SNAPSHOT

RUN OF THE DAY

Maybe it was more to the eye rather than the clock but sometimes you have to trust what you see and the win of the three-year-old Roheryn was very exciting. His debut win on the heavy track was OK without raving but he ran right up to his brilliant dry track trials at his second start and looking the real thing.

FORGET THEY RAN

Monsieur Sisu resumed over an unsuitable distance and did plenty of on pace work before knocking up. He did enough to say he will win a few races over further this campaign and looks an improver.

THE BLACK BOOK

A few options including Roheryn but I think out of the Highway Chewbacca obviously still has upside to come after resuming without a trial. He will be placed to advantage in the future and is sure to win races.

RIDE OF THE DAY

J osh Parr took advantage of a great book of rides winning four races making no mistakes. His association with the old boy Red Excitement is a beauty.

With Ron Dufficy

NSW RACING — THE WEEK AHEAD

Monday: Ballina, Corowa

Tuesday: Royal Randwick, Kembla Grange, Muswellbrook

Wednesday: Grafton

Thursday: Hawkesbury, Albury

Friday: Kempsey, Orange

Saturday: Rosehill Gardens, Newcastle, Goulburn

Sunday: Armidale, Warren