Tagg has had two chances to win the Cox Plate without success but a decision to send one of his broodmares to Ireland some years ago is starting to reap significant rewards.

Tagg and his co-owners have enjoyed great success with horses, such as Haradasun and Elvstroem, and now the fillies from that family are also paying dividends.

In 2011, Tagg his wife Sally and co-owners Garry and Leonie Moffitt, together with Frank and Maree Meduri, agreed to be part of an unusual yet challenging opportunity to send their beautifully bred mare Hveger to Ireland to foal share with the huge Coolmore Stud operation.

"What happens is that we supply the mare and they supply the stallion Galileo, and the only stipulation is that Hveger is to be covered by Galileo each year," Frank Tagg said on Friday.

After one battling foal - Rings Of Saturn - another strong, athletic colt was born. This time the owners struck gold as the foal turned out to be Cox Plate favourite Highland Reel.

"It's just so exciting," Tagg said. "Yes I missed out on winning a Cox Plate with those [other] two horses but to sit back up here in Sydney and be on the verge of breeding a Cox Plate winner via Ireland ... I've had some fantastic times with the families and not for a minute do I regret selling Highland Reel. It was a good price and it looks like the family continues to get better."

Tagg and his two partners agreed to sell Highland Reel back to Coolmore Stud for $450,000.

"We're all just so pleased to see the mare achieving what we always thought she could," Tagg said. "She's a daughter of Danehill and we always knew that she could produce very good horses."

Highland Reel, a three-year-old to northern hemisphere time but a four-year-old to Australian time, has been one of the most talked-about horses to land in Australia this spring.

However Tagg believes Highland Reel may not be on his own as a well-performed member of the family. "The year after Highland Reel was born she threw another lovely colt and we again sold him for about $450,000 to the stud. Again just pleased that there were no complications and the foals are winners," he said. "And the younger brother who's called Idaho, at his first start three weeks ago careered away to win by five lengths and I understand they're so pleased with him that he's been lined up for a group 1 event in France in a few weeks' time.

"I think it's fabulous we can sit back and be so proud to watch this family who started with just one race mare - Circles Of Gold - and her sons and daughters have just continued to win or be placed in major races," he said.

Tagg formed a nearly unbeatable owner-trainer combination with Caulfield horseman Tony Vasil and over the past 13 years have had a strong involvement in major races in Australia.

Vasil moved away from training after a battle with depression until his health improved, which meant that Tagg moved his three horses to trainer Danny O'Brien.

"They all don't win," Tagg said. "We go through some tough times with them but we'll be so pleased if Highland Reel can be successful at Moonee Valley."

The majority of punters around Australia or in Europe for that matter hope Tagg is right with Highland Reel, which has been heavily supported since betting opened some months ago.

And perhaps Tagg and his partners may reverse the trend of Australians having to scour Europe to have any chance of winning a Cox Plate or a Caulfield or Melbourne Cup.

Tagg, who showed great initiative, is poised to see Hveger increase its breeding profile enormously in the next 24 hours.

And perhaps, at the Cox Plate of 2017, Tagg will again be in a pivotal position when Idaho makes its way down under to compete in a Cox Plate.