Hall Of Famer Octagonal Dies

Octagonal (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}–Eight Carat {GB}, by Pieces Of Eight {GB}), an Australian Hall Of Famer and 10-time Group 1 winner, was euthanized due to the effects of old age at 24 on Saturday at Darley's Woodlands Stud in Australia.

Bred in New Zealand by Sir Patrick Hogan's Cambridge Stud and from the first crop of Zabeel, Octagonal is out of Hogan's three-time Broodmare of the Year Eight Carat, who produced four Group 1 winners and whose descendants also include successful sires Commands (Aus), Danewin (Aus) and Viscount (Aus). Trained by John Hawkes for Woodlands Stud, which was then owned by the Ingham family, Octagonal finished first or second in all five juvenile outings, including a win in the G1 Sires' Produce S. and second-place finishes in both the G1 Golden Slipper and G1 Champagne S., which make up Sydney's 2-year-old Triple Crown. He cemented his status as a true champion when besting elders in the G1 Cox Plate later that year as a 3-year-old and proved truly unstoppable the following autumn, embarking on a five-race win streak, all Group 1s, encompassing the 3-year-old Triple Crown of the Canterbury Guineas (now Randwick Guineas), Rosehill Guineas, and Australian Derby, as well as the Mercedes Classic, and the spring's Underwood S. The dark bay had his streak broken when fourth–the worst finish of his career–in the G1 Caulfield S., but bounced back the following autumn to win the G1 Chipping Norton S. and the Australian Cup before repeating in the Mercedes Classic. Octagonal was retired after finishing second in the 1997 G1 Queen Elizabeth S. with 14 wins from 28 starts and A$5,892,231 in earnings, which was then a record Down Under. He was also named Australia's Horse of the Year in 2006.

While Octagonal did not match his racing exploits in his stud career, his four Group 1 winners did include a superstar in his first crop in Lonhro (Aus), who won 11 Group 1 races while racing as a homebred for Woodlands Stud. He has in turn excelled in the breeding shed and will carry on his sire's legacy for years to come.

Both Octagonal and Lonhro were part of the Woodlands package purchased by Darley for a reported half-billion Australian dollars in 2008, and Octagonal will be buried on the Woodlands property he called home for so many years. John Sunderland, General Manager at Woodlands said, “It is a sad day as Octagonal is an old favourite of everyone and he will be sorely missed. He was such a lovely horse to deal with and such a big part of Woodlands.”