Octagonal, New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse, Died at 24

Octagonal was born on October 8, 1992, and died on October 15, 2016.

He was a champion New Zealand-bred, Australian raced Thoroughbred racehorse, also known as ‘The Big O’ or ‘Occy’.

He was by the champion sire Zabeel, out of the champion broodmare Eight Carat, who also produced Group One winners Mouawad, Kaapstad, Diamond Lover and (Our) Marquise.

Octagonal was trained by John Hawkes, Octagonal made his debut late in 1994, and was crowned the Australian Champion Two Year Old on the strength of his autumn campaign, which comprised wins in the Todman Trial and AJC Sires Produce Stakes and close seconds in the STC Golden Slipper and AJC Champagne Stakes.

At only 3 years old, he won seven of his eleven starts, and took his record to 10 wins from 16 starts.

Also to beating a high-standard crop in Sydney’s three-year-old autumn triple crown – the Canterbury and Rosehill Guineas and the Australian Derby – Octagonal won the two richest weight-for-age races on the Australian calendar, the W S Cox Plate and the Mercedes Classic.

He gain earnings of just short of A$4 million, Octagonal was voted the 1996 Australian Champion Three Year Old, Australian Horse of the Year, and remains the last horse to have won the triple crown.

Octagonal passed away at 24 years old.