The Zabeel factor has returned to Australasian racing with the Victoria Derby win of his son Preferment.

With European stallions dominating the Melbourne Cup, Sir Patrick Hogan would like to see owners and breeders shift their focus to the southern hemisphere bloodlines.

The proprietor of New Zealand's Cambridge Stud, Hogan took a gamble several decades ago when he bought Sir Tristram out of France to become his foundation stallion.

The influence of Sir Tristram on the staying ranks remains unequalled in Australasia - for the moment.

His son Zabeel, now retired from stud duties, is just one short of Sir Tristram's 45 individual Group One winners and has an outside chance to level up with Precedence in the Melbourne Cup.

The Bart and James Cummings-trained Precedence will sport the green silks of his part-owner Hogan after racing for the rest of his career in Dato Tan Chin Nam's famous black and white checks.

Hogan isn't expecting the veteran to win at his fourth Cup attempt but is pleased to see him and four others carrying on the Sir Tristram-Zabeel tradition.

They have sired three Cup winners apiece with Sir Tristram represented by Gurner's Lane (1982), Empire Rose (1988) and Brew (2000) and Zabeel by Might And Power (1997), Jezabeel (1998) and Efficient (2007).

"There is not a stallion out there at the moment who can get near Zabeel for staying horses," Hogan said.

"There are a lot of northern hemisphere stallions who come here for one season and we don't see them again.

"We should be breeding Classic winners and Melbourne Cup horses from our own genetic bloodlines.

"I'm pleased to say I have an interest in five runners in the Cup with Sir Tristram and Zabeel blood."

Lucia Valentina and Brambles are products of Zabeel's 2004 Cox Plate winning son Savabeel, Fawkner is by another son of Zabeel, the unbeaten Reset while Who Shot Thebarman is by Yamanin Vital, a son of Sir Tristram.

"Savabeel and Reset are very good sires but no-one could say they are in the class of Zabeel," Hogan said.

His own sentiments aside, where does Hogan think the best Cup bloodlines are?

"The Japanese horse (Admire Rakti) is a big threat," he said.

"Japan breeds the best stayers in the world."