Savabeel continues his domination

The all-conquering Savabeel has won the Grosvenor Award (Champion New Zealand sire) for five consecutive seasons as well as four Dewar Award and four Centaine Award and is nearing 100 stakes winners, including 18 Group One winners.

In the modern era, no New Zealand-based stallion can match the remarkable achievements of Zabeel’s Gr.1 Cox Plate-winning son.

The Grosvenor Award is based on progeny earnings, the Dewar Award is based on combined Australian and New Zealand progeny earnings, and the Centaine Award is for combined progeny earnings worldwide.

He continues to be the dominant force in New Zealand breeding with yet another clean sweep this season of all the stallion awards and he produced 18 stakes winners during the 2018-19 season.

“Savabeel has done it again, what a huge season it has been for him across the board,” Mark Chittick said.

“We are so proud of the results achieved by our stallions, and the exciting foundation they have laid down for the future.”

Savabeel delivered three individual Group One winners – Shillelagh, Savvy Coup and Nicoletta successful respectively in the Empire Rose Stakes, the Livamol Classic and the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes.

His popularity at Karaka was again emphasised when his son out of Make A Wish topped New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale in 2019 when Te Akau principal David Ellis secured the colt for $1.4 million.

“He was on everyone’s list, and he was probably the best athlete I’ve seen at Karaka for 10 years or more,” Ellis said.

“We’ve trained Savabeel’s two Group One-winning colts, Embellish and Hall Of Fame, and we’ve won 12 stakes races with his progeny in recent seasons.

“I can see him running in some of our good two-year-old races, then training on and being a lovely three-year-old for races like the 2000 Guineas.

“He could even run in the million-dollar Karaka Million 2YO, then be back the next year for the million-dollar Karaka Million 3YO.”

Savabeel’s stunning record of achievement extends to a consistent 70 per cent winners to runners ratio and 10.8 per cent stakes winners to runners ratio – both statistics achieved in the 2018/19 season.