Waikato Stud’s eagerly awaited fees announced for 2025

A mix of proven and up-and-coming sires sees fees for Waikato Stud’s six-strong roster set for the 2025 season, once again headlined by the NZ Hall of Fame inductee-in-waiting Savabeel. Alongside him stands second-season sire sensation Super Seth, emerging force Ardrossan, proven Group 1 producer Ocean Park, exciting first-season sire Noverre and a sire-in-waiting Banquo rounding out the formidable lineup.

“It’s a lineup we are continually proud of, and it continues to fit with tradition which has, and does, lead to success,” said studmaster, Mark Chittick. “They are stallions that we have put the time and the investment into because we believe they suit our expansive broodmare band, which continually produces top-class racehorses including three Group 1 winners this season bred by Waikato Stud: La Dorada, Savaglee and Atishu.”

“Stallions with the credentials that we require are not easy to come by – we are very, very appreciative of the support of current shareholders and breeders. Each stallion is sourced primarily for our 200-plus broodmare band, but in this day and age we couldn’t do it on our own and we thoroughly appreciate the incredible support that we are given by Australasian breeders. We enjoy the success together, Super Seth is a good example of Waikato Sud and our major shareholders sharing in that success.”

Sitting some $2.7 million clear of his nearest contender on the New Zealand sires’ premiership with Damask Rose claiming the inaugural $3.5 million NZB Kiwi, Savabeel looks set to secure his 10^th New Zealand Champion Sires’ title and will be inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame in May. This season alone, Savabeel has sired three Group 1 winners: Atishu, who claimed her third elite-level victory in the Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes, along with two new Group 1 winners in Savaglee and Provence, bringing his Group 1 tally to 35. He continues to strike at a phenomenal 11.1% Stakes winners to runners and 7.3% Group winners to runners.

This year, Savabeel produced his highest-priced yearling yet and set a new record for the highest-priced filly ever sold at Karaka – $2.4 million for the full sister to Orchestral, from the family of Savaglee, Aegon and Atishu. Savabeel will stand at an unchanged fee of $100,000 plus GST.

“He deserves every accolade, and we are very proud of everything he’s done and is doing for the New Zealand industry,” said Chittick. “He has great vitality and we’re heading into the season with a bright, happy and healthy horse – the only thing we will avoid breeding this year at his age is maidens. He’s had another incredible season on the track and in the sales ring, and he just keeps reminding us why he’s so special.”

Three Group 1 winners, two countries, one super sire, Super Seth. Feroce kicked off Group 1 proceedings with victory in the Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on 1 March, handing young trainer Dominic Sutton his first Group 1 win. Seven days later, another first-crop son, Linebacker, claimed the Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Royal Randwick, delivering John O’Shea and Tom Charlton their first elite-level win as a training partnership, and Tom’s first as a trainer. Just three weeks later, two-year-old La Dorada put on a three-and-a-half-length show to take the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes, adding to her earlier wins in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes and R. Listed Karaka Millions 2YO. They are joined by black-type stars Sethito, Poetic Champion, Super Photon and the Group 3-placed two-year-old, Sanctified – the former helping Super Seth achieve an impressive 8% stakes winners to runners’ strike rate.

Super Seth leads the New Zealand Second Season Sires’ Premiership as the only stallion in his cohort so far this season to surpass the million-dollar mark in progeny earnings. He sits in fifth position on the Australian Second Season Sires’ Premiership, with A$3.2 million in earnings achieved by half the number of runners to those above him. In the sales ring, his ready-to-run horses made up to A$550,000 and $420,000 on home shores, while his yearlings have sold for as much as $700,000.

With limited outside nominations available, bookings by application will close at 5pm (NZT) on Wednesday, 4 June – click here to nominate. With Group 1 winners from both his first and second crops, Super Seth has earned a fee increase to $75,000 plus GST.

“An unbelievable stallion. I don’t feel as though we have had a stallion start like this in New Zealand for a long time. Three Group 1 winners across two countries in a month is freakish, and he keeps backing up with Trans-Tasman winners every single week,” Chittick enthused.

With stakes horses in all three crops, despite covering smaller, lesser-quality books – Ardrossan has already proven his ability to upgrade his mares and produce winners. With bigger and better-quality books in the pipeline, this season’s matings are set to benefit from both strength in numbers and quality coming through. Ardrossan’s fertility last season was 90.14%, and from his earlier, smaller books, he has produced an impressive 9% stakes winners to runners, including Yaldi, Ardalio (a two-time Group winner who starred on Karaka Millions night), Beau Dazzler in Australia, Saltcoats, Codigo and Loch Katrine, among others.

His rising two-year-olds come from Ardrossan’s biggest book to date and made up to A$150,000 at Magic Millions – bought by Danny O’Brien Racing, and at Karaka it was Bjorn Baker Racing / Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) who bought his top lot for $150,000. His yearlings averaged over five times their service fee ($116,363) with international demand for his stock to the fore – six of 11 Karaka yearlings were bought by Australia or Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, Ardrossan has made an immediate impact with two winners from limited runners: Sky Heart for Caspar Fownes and Sunday’s Serenade for Jamie Richards. Buyers from Hong Kong also secured three of his five NZB Ready to Run horses last year for upwards of $250,000. Ardrossan will stand at an unchanged fee of $20,000 plus GST.

“He’s had to do it the hard way and prove himself. He’s consistently producing good winners off his smaller books – Ardalio recording her second Group win on Saturday is a good example, and now his bigger crops are starting to come through. To achieve 9% stakes winners to runners from very low numbers and average pedigrees is quite incredible. He’s certainly an upgrading sire, and people have to understand, and be reminded, that his numbers don’t increase until the foals of the 2024 crop. I’m adamant that as these numbers and quality do rise, he will be a formidable sire. He’s a very safe stallion who can leave good types that become very good racehorses out of any type of mare,” explained Chittick.

A proven Group 1 producer in both New Zealand and Australia, five-time Group 1-winning Champion Ocean Park is renowned for his remarkable toughness and soundness – qualities he continues to pass on to his progeny. With nine stakes horses this season alone, they are highlighted by Powers Of Opal and Hurry Curry, who finished second and third respectively in the Gr.1 VRC Oaks during Melbourne Cup week. To date, he has produced 326 winners for 890 wins, 22 stakes winners and progeny earnings exceeding $53 million. Ocean Park will stand at a slightly reduced fee of $15,000 plus GST.

“He always has a good horse – they’re good, tough racehorses. He’s getting into the latter part of his career now and he’s a very good, safe, proven horse,” said Chittick.

Described as ‘close to perfect as one would see in a yearling’ by his subsequent purchaser David Ellis CNZM, Noverre’s first yearlings entered the sales ring in 2025. He averaged A$350,000 at Magic Millions with a top price of A$500,000. At the 2025 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale, his first crop averaged $135,625, with a top price of $310,000. Noverre will stand at an unchanged fee of $10,000 plus GST.

“He’s such a good-looking horse and he passes that onto his yearlings. He throws a great type and he was well-supported by trainers and agents here in New Zealand and over in Australia this year,” said Chittick. “Breeders – none more so than ourselves – have been incredibly impressed with what he’s left. His books have increased year-on-year, and last season he served the biggest book of any sire in New Zealand. Off the back of the types he’s leaving, the quality of mares he’s had and his phenomenal first yearlings at the sales, he’s got an unbelievable opportunity at stud.”

Pedigree, type, and turn of foot. Banquo hails from a strong Australian sprinting family, being a full brother to Gr.1 Oakleigh Plate winner Booker. A good-looking son of Written Tycoon, he was a A$600,000 Magic Millions yearling. Banquo retired to stud on the eve of the 2021 New Zealand breeding season and, entering stud months after his cohort was announced, had limited opportunities. However, his first runner, Portland, produced a strong fourth on debut for Stephen Marsh, with trainers commenting positively on their potential as racehorses. Banquo will stand at an unchanged fee of $3,000 plus GST.

“Starting at stud at an awkward time of the year meant his opportunities were limited. Comments from trainers and owners with Banquo’s progeny in work are very, very encouraging,” concluded Chittick.

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