Savaglee crowned Champion Three-Year-Old of 2024/25

In Hamilton on Sunday evening, the recently inducted NZ Racing Hall of Fame stallion Savabeel was represented in style as his son Savaglee (ex Glee), who was named Champion Three-Year-Old at the NZTR Horse of the Year Awards.

Trained in New Zealand by Pam Gerard (Ballymore Racing), Savaglee delivered a top-drawer season that combined class and consistency. He claimed the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas at Riccarton in November, added the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas, Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial and Gr.2 Levin Classic, then measured up across the Tasman with a gallant second in the Gr.1 Australian Guineas and a third in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint against older sprinters.

Bred and sold by Waikato Stud, Savaglee was purchased by The Oaks Stud for $400,000 from our Karaka 2023 Book 1 draft, with Rick Williams signing the ticket. He races for The Oaks Stud’s Dick Karreman.

Savaglee is out of Glee (O’Reilly), a family rich in black-type that also links to elite winners including Orchestral, another reminder of the depth in this Waikato Stud female line.

The award caps a memorable year for Team Savaglee and further underlines Savabeel’s enduring influence at the top of the New Zealand sire ranks. Waikato Stud congratulates Pam Gerard, The Oaks Stud, jockey Sam Spratt, and all connections on a superb season.