Savabeel’s stallion supremacy continues

Savabeel’s dominance has translated into yet another clean sweep of stallion titles for the 2021/22 season which was headlined by an eighth consecutive Grosvenor Award as Champion New Zealand Sire.

Waikato Stud’s superstar resident also claimed his seventh Centaine Award for worldwide progeny earnings and sixth Dewar Award for combined Australian and New Zealand progeny earnings, while the late O’Reilly claimed another Champion Broodmare Sire title.

Savabeel’s unprecedented deeds were acknowledged at the National Breeding Awards, sponsored by AGrowQuip, which were presented at the Sir Don Rowlands Event Centre at Karapiro on Saturday evening.

“It’s been incredible for Savabeel with 19 stakes winners and the highest stakes producer in Australasia and long may it last, he’s a legend,” Waikato Stud’s Mark Chittick said.

“He’s healthy, looks great and last year he served 130-odd mares and got 120 in foal. He turns 21 on September 23 and we will certainly be honouring that, it’s in the planning.

“He is very important to us and very important to New Zealand. The (stallion) awards have been sitting with us on seven or eight occasions and it is lovely to have them again.”

Overall, Zabeel’s peerless son Savabeel has a career tally of 125 stakes winners with 27 of them at Group One level, including Mo’unga, Noverre, Probabeel, Savy Yong Blonk, The Chosen One and The Perfect Pink this season.

His contribution was immense to another stellar season for Waikato Stud, who celebrated 13 home-bred stakes winners, including five at Group One level and 17 black type-placed horses.

The Matamata farm’s efforts were acknowledged with the prestigious Sir Patrick and Justine Lady Hogan Breeder of the Year Award, the ninth time it has been so honoured. 

“It is another season that we are extremely proud of and to get this award again – Garry and I and Mary and Pip and the big Waikato Stud family – it means so much to us,” Chittick said.

Its elite level winners featured Mo’unga, successful in the Winx S., Probabeel who won the Might And Power S., Noverre who claimed the New Zealand 2000 Guineas, Never Been Kissed who triumphed in the Flight S. and Tiptronic who won the Zabeel Classic.

Chittick was loathe to single out a season highlight, but he admitted that the racing heroics of Savabeel’s son Noverre and the farm subsequently securing his return to join his father at Waikato Stud was hugely satisfying.

“Noverre was a product of the farm and he’s back here, albeit a bit prematurely due to an unfortunate injury, but we’re very happy he’s on our stallion roster,” he said.

“In the 2000 Guineas, he was last on the turn and buried back on the rail and talking to Opie (Bosson), he just said once he got him out the race was won, which was pretty incredible.

“Any Group One is a good one, but that was very special for us.”

The stud’s Bloodstock Manager Jaimee Gowler was also acknowledged as the Mary Lynne Ryan Young Achiever Award.