The thoughts of Patrick Hogan, unquestionably among the world's top five breeders, on the demise of the Australian-bred stayer over the past decade would be well worth documenting.
But it might be uncomfortable and somewhat embarrassing for the supremo of New Zealand's Cambridge Stud to be asked for his thoughts - his answers would be sure to leave Australia's breeders, racing administrators, race clubs and trainers alike doubly uncomfortable and embarrassed.
But can any or all of these four parties come up with an explanation for why there is just a -single Australian-bred horse among the 24 to line up for the $6.2 million Group I Melbourne Cup tomorrow? 
Sertorius, an eight-year-old gelding and the 200-1 rank outsider of the field, is a member of the last of five foal crops left in Australia by Coolmore Stud's European colossus Galileo, his mother a daughter of Coolmore's two-times national champion Encosta de Lago.
Hogan has run a daily hands-on operation of his Cambridge Stud for some four decades and his success record and unmatched achievement of stallion management in that time puts him in the same league as the acknowledged global leaders - Darley Stud, Coolmore Stud, the Aga Khan's studs and Japan's phenomenal Yoshida -family-run Shadai Corp.
The worldwide influence of Coolmore, Darley and Shadai is mirrored in the Cup field: Coolmore stallions have five runners, including four by Galileo, Darley's Authorized and Teofolio have one each and Shadai's legendary Sunday -Silence features as the grandsire of the two Japanese starters, as well as the French-bred Max Dynamite.
Cambridge Stud grew its global reputation from the late 1970s through the Sir Ivor stallion Sir Tristram, whose multiple championships were emulated from the 90s by his son Zabeel, who died aged 30 on Cambridge Stud in   September.
Hogan will feel well at ease when he studies the Cup field, justifiably proud that his Cambridge Stud is not only represented as the co-breeder of Preferment, but that Preferment is also by the great Zabeel.
Twelve months ago, Preferment won the Group I Victoria Derby. Tomorrow, he will seek to emulate Zabeel's grey son Efficient, winner of the 2005 Victoria Derby-2006 Melbourne Cup -double. Zabeel also features as the sire of the 2011 Victoria Derby winner Savabeel and as the grandsire of the 2008 winner Rebel Raider (by the unbeaten Reset).
Cambridge Stud is again on the roll of honour of the Victoria Derby after Saturday's renewal which had the favoured Tarzino, a clear-cut winner over the Darley-bred Etymology, by Galileo's English Derby winner New Approach.
Bred and sold for $45,000 as a yearling by Cambridge Stud, Tar-zino is by the stud's Tavistock, a son of Coolmore's deceased stam-ina champion Montjeu and the British-bred Upstage, by English Derby winner Quest For Fame.
Tarzino was foaled by the Cambridge-owned mare Zarzino, a daughter of Zabeel and whose mother Kindness was a sister to the multiple Group I miler Sky Chase - sire of the superb 1996 Melbourne Cup winner Saintly.
Darley Stud's stallion roster had yet another big result on the opening day of Melbourne Cup week, with Street Sense's Politeness striking a hat-trick in the Group I Myer Classic, Street Cry with Ambience in the Group II Wakeful Stakes and Reset's ultra-consistent Deposition taking the Group III Guvera Stakes.
But there was also rank disappointment for the Darley team when Lonhro's brilliant son Exosphere (by Lonhro, grandson of Zabeel) missed a place in the Group I Coolmore Stakes (1200m). The $1m feature was won in handsome style by Japonisme who had a long view of Exosphere's hindquarters at his previous two attempts.
But there was jubilation for the Coolmore team, as the sponsors of the $1m set-weight event for three-year-olds, as Japonisme is by the stud's ever reliable Choisir, who was himself winner of this race in 2002 and a dual Group I sprinter at Royal Ascot in 2003.
Japonisme also links Coolmore with Cambridge Stud, along with Ingham Bloodstock, the now disbanded breeding-racing empire of the Ingham brothers, Jack and Bob. The Inghams in   March 2008 sold their entire Woodlands Stud empire to Darley, but stocked up a little just one month later when purchasing the filly Haiku for $850,000 from the Coolmore Easter yearling draft in Sydney.
Haiku is by Coolmore's Encosta de Lago from the Cambridge-bred Emulate, by the mighty Sir Tristram from Concert Time, a British-bred mare by the 1977 Sussex Stakes-Eclipse Stakes winner Artaius, by Round Table. This cross makes Haiku a close relation to -Zabeel's master stayer Might And Power, the 1999 Caulfield--Melbourne Cup winner who was produced by a daughter of Artaius.
Haiku ran just once, for 11th of 12 in a Wyong Maiden in   November 2009 - after which she was promptly put to stud to produce Japonisme in her second season.
Raced by his breeders Ingham Racing NSW, Japonisme is the first Group I winner to carry the celebrated all-cerise colours of the Ingham brothers since the private sale of the Woodlands empire to Darley 61/2 years ago.
The reason Ingham Racing NSW bought Hauki would have had a bit to do with the fact that Ingham Bloodstock had in 2005 bought the yearling filly Plagiarized from the Coolmore Stud, which had, in turn, bought Emulate in a private deal. Emulate was in foal to Stravinsky, Coolmore's former lightning sprint son of Nureyev.That resultant foal was the filly Plagiarized who oozed class, winning the Group II Silver Slipper Stakes on her second start and then towelled the brilliant Gold Edition in the Group III Kindergarten Stakes. But injury struck soon after forcing Plagiarized to miss the Group I Golden Slipper Stakes and head off to an early stud career.