When Savabeel passed away last week at Waikato Stud, we lost a genuinely outstanding sire and his legacy is something to be valued and preserved for the future.
Savabeel was the dominant champion sire in New Zealand, but he was also a powerful influence in Australia and his overall lifetime statistics in comparison to our champion sires are worth a look.
Champion Sires Sorted by Lifetime G1 Winners
|
Sire / Foaling year |
Winner to Runner |
SW to Runner |
G1 Winners (G1 to Runner) |
|
Savabeel 2001 |
73% |
11% |
36 (2.5 %) |
|
Snitzel 2002 |
78% |
10% |
28 (1.6%) |
|
I Am Invincible 2004 |
81% |
9% |
19 (1.4%) |
|
Written Tycoon 2002 |
77% |
6% |
18 (1.3%) |
|
Zoustar 2010 |
69% |
7% |
11 (1%) |
|
Extreme Choice 2013 |
73% |
12% |
6 (3.7%) |
These stallions as a group are responsible for a large section of the young commercial sires available to breeders this spring in Australia.
Interestingly, Savabeel has three young Group I winning stallions to continue the Sir Tristram (IRE) sireline through Zabeel and they are all at the same stud in NSW.
Situated at Boorowa in the south west of NSW, Newhaven Park has a long history of success with the Kelly family producing countless Group I winners and standing elite stallions from foundation sire Wilkes (Fr) through to the likes of Imperial Prince (IRE), Luskin Star, Marauding and Zeditave.
A prevalence of Danehill blood in Australia led John Kelly to think outside the square and the result has been two Group I winning sons of Savabeel added to the roster in Cool Aza Beel and Mo’Unga.
A dual Group I winner in Australia of the ATC Winx Stakes and Rosehill Guineas, MoUnga is third season this spring with his first yearlings headed to sales next year, while Cool Aza Beel has already made his mark with his first crop of two year-olds producing the freakishly good colt Cool Archie.
Bred and sold by Newhaven Park, Cool Archie blazed through the Brisbane Winter Carnival last year for the Chris and Corey Munce stable racking up five successive wins from 1000m to 1600m on tracks rated from good to heavy.
His season culminated with a dominant win in the Group I BRC JJ Atkins (1600m), but sadly that was to be his last race with injury curtailing his career.
Cool Archie has returned to his birthplace and will join his sire Cool Aza Beel at stud this spring giving broodmare owners three options to utilise the potent blood of Savabeel.
All three stallions are free of Danehill blood and all three are Group I winners and in the case of Cool Aza Beel, he is also now a G1 producing sire.
The emergence of Cool Archie last year saw Cool Aza Beel cover his best ever book of 131 mares last spring, so he is well placed for the future.
