Ellis looking to add to Savabeel honours board

Te Akau have enjoyed an outstanding run of success with the progeny of Savabeel and they are confident a daughter bought out of Waikato Stud’s draft will continue that trend.

Principal David Ellis went to $380,000 for the filly, Lot 573, on the final day of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Book 1 session.

His honour roll of Group 1 winners by the champion stallion features Probabeel, Amarelinha, Skew Wiff, The Perfect Pink, Sword Of Osman and Prise De Fer while Embellish, Cool Aza Beel and Noverre are now standing at stud.

Ellis’ latest acquisition is a daughter of the Fastnet Rock mare Early Morning Rise who is out of the black-type winner Kay’s Awake.

She also proved herself at stud, leaving six individual winners of 17 races, including Australian stakes winner Rise At Dawn.

“It’s a family we’ve always really liked and had success with and the cross with the Sir Tristram sireline, through Zabeel and Savabeel has worked very well,” Ellis said.

“She’s a classic example of the mating and very similar to others that we’ve bought out of this family.

“She reminds us a lot of Damask Rose, who won the Karaka Millions 3YO so well the other day at Ellerslie.

“The filly is in the same mould, and we can see her racing as a two-year-old, going on to be a really good three-year-old filly, and like the rest of the family they keep improving.”

For $190,000, Ellis also purchased Lot 656, a son of Savabeel and the Rip Van Winkle mare Honor, who is a three-quarter sister to the dual Group 1 winner Te Akau Shark.

The dam is also a half-sister to Pondarosa Miss, successful in an edition of the Gr.1 Easter Handicap.

Another star Savabeel offering was Lot 587 who was sold to Waikato Bloodstock for $375,000.

He is a brother to the two-time Group 3 winner Milford and stakes performer Savoir Faire and their dam is the O’Reilly mare Etiquette.

She is an unraced sister to the ill-fated multiple Group 1 winner and successful sire Sacred Falls.

Young sire Super Seth continued to be in the thick of the action and Wexford Stables made a successful play for his chestnut daughter, Lot 575.

Her dam is Savabeel’s daughter Eleanor Rigby who is a sister to the two-time Group 2 and 3 winner Coldplay and a three-quarter sister to the Listed Hawkesbury Rowley Mile winner Savacool.