Savabeel has achieved extraordinary fame and fortune since his retirement off the back of an outstanding racing career and Savacool’s victory in the Listed Pioneer Services Rowley Mile at Hawkesbury on Thursday has added to his long, long line of achievements.
The champion stallion has won the Grosvenor Award (champion New Zealand sire) for five consecutive seasons, four Dewar Awards (combined New Zealand and Australian progeny earnings) and five Centaine Awards (combined world-wide progeny earnings) and has sired 20 individual Group 1 winners.
Savacool was bred by stud principal Mark Chittick with long-time friend and client Gary Wallace and sold at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale to trainer Chris Waller for NZ$220,000.
“Gary and his wife Vicky are great family friends and it’s a relationship that goes right back to our days at Thornton Park when Gary became involved in Centaine,” Chittick said.
“We’ve enjoyed a close relationship ever since then and he is very passionate about the game.”
History-maker
Wallace is also a major player in another part of Waikato Stud’s history.
“I bred O’Reilly’s first stakes winner The Big Chill who won the Listed Red Roses S. at Flemington on Oaks Day so to do that and now Savabeel’s 100th stakes winner is very special,” Wallace said.
“Many, many years ago Dad raced the odd horse so I followed it and had a real interest. It wasn’t until later on that I met Garry Chittick when he was in Palmerston North and he had just bought Centaine.
“I went out to the farm with another friend to look at him and met Garry – he must be a good salesman because I bought two shares in Centaine and that was the start of an amazing friendship with the Chittick family. It’s been an amazing journey.”
Savabeel | Standing at Waikato Stud
As a rising 19-year-old and in excellent health, Savabeel’s extraordinary dominance is far from over, but it hasn’t been all plain sailing for the son of Zabeel (NZ), another stallion phenomenon, who had to navigate choppy waters on more than one occasion.
“Obviously, we are all extremely proud of what he has achieved. It’s never been a secret that he was the first NZ$10 million syndicated horse to come to New Zealand,” Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick said.
“The support we had in purchasing him and getting him syndicated was incredible all the way through. We’ve all had a great ride with him and continue to do so.
“The support we had in purchasing him and getting him syndicated was incredible all the way through." – Mark Chittick
“However, when he had his first 2-year-olds was around the time that GST was introduced. He got 5 individual 2-year-old winners from his first crop, then GST hit and the underlying chat was that he wasn’t going well enough.
“Being by Zabeel, we knew they were going to be at their best as 3-year-olds and onwards and there was certainly a year when he served well under 100 mares. There was also a year around that stage that we didn’t get a lot of support from the sales company.
“Through that period it was really very tricky and his service went from NZ$30,000 to NZ$20,000, but we always had confidence in Savabeel. There were definitely difficult years, tough times, and I’m very proud that he came out of that.
Mark Chittick and Savabeel | Photo courtesy of Waikato Stud
“Interestingly enough, he’s now up 15 2-year-old stakes winners, which is incredible. He leaves a top 2-year-old and horses that train on with stakes winners over sprint distances up to a Group 1 winner over 3200 metres and leaves fillies and colts.
“As the years have gone on, he’s now getting the opportunity as a broodmare sire and is on track to be outstanding in that role as well. Being by Zabeel out of a Success Express mare it’s a no-brainer, they are both champion broodmare sires.”
“As the years have gone on, he’s now getting the opportunity as a broodmare sire and on track to be outstanding in that role as well.” – Mark Chittick
Savabeel won both the G1 Cox Plate and the G1 Spring Champion S. when trained by Graeme Rogerson for an ownership group that included Max Whitby and they both remained involved in the second stage of the horse's career at stud.
“Graeme still comes over here at least twice a year for lunch to say hello to Savabeel and that’s really cool and another is Max, who’s also continued to be a great supporter,” Chittick said.
It was therefore appropriate that they combined with Scarlett Lady (NZ) to give Savabeel his first Group 1 success in Australia when she landed the Queensland Oaks.
Scarlett Lady (NZ)
“Of our locals, Sam Williams and Graham Bax have been great and a guy who came in a little later because he became involved in the game after we had syndicated the horse and has become a big part of it all is Tony Rider,” Chittick said.
“From the point of view of not being a shareholder, but a great supporter of Savabeel is Peter Moody. He trained (stakes winner) Pasadena Girl, Nurse Kitchen and Brambles, among others.
“He’s always said that when we do a brass sculpture of Savabeel he should be standing beside him, we always joke about that. He might not have always bought the biggest, shiniest ones, but he has had great success with them.
“He’s always said that when we do a brass sculpture of Savabeel he (Peter Moody) should be standing beside him, we always joke about that.” – Mark Chittick
“Bruce Perry and Lib Petagna are two other great supporters of Savabeel. I don’t know how many stakes-winning daughters Lib is now breeding from, it might not be 10 but it would be close.
“In the latter years, David Ellis and Te Akau have been very successful with sons and daughters of Savabeel.”
Chittick pointed to the Petagna-owned Lucia Valentina (NZ) as one of Savabeel’s leading early flagbearers in Australia where she won the Queen Elizabeth S., Turnbull S. and Vinery Stud S.
“She was a high-profile horse who raced in a tough environment and at home Kawi was a great horse. He won seven Group 1s that Allan Sharrock managed very well because he wasn’t the soundest of horses,” Chittick said.
“Sangster did his bit by winning the G1 VRC Derby and most recently, and still with a very big future is the G1 Surround S. winner Probabeel.”
Probabeel (NZ)
The progeny of Savabeel have also been a major drawcard for overseas buyers at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for many years and spearheaded Waikato Stud to leading vendor vendor titles at Karaka from 2014 to 2020.
“He’s been incredibly important to us and more importantly to New Zealand. He’s given every reason, particularly for Australian buyers, to be here to get their hands on them,” Chittick said.
Top temperament
As far as stallions go, Savabeel has been an extremely manageable horse with an endearing nature.
“He really has got the best temperament. He’s seen stallions come and go here and I love stallions and their personalities and trying to work out how they think,” Chittick said.
“He had the utmost respect for O’Reilly, but for the last few years he absolutely knows he’s the king. He doesn’t get upset when the new ones come along – I can see him thinking good luck to you and if you do as well as me, I’ll be extremely proud of you as well.
“He’s quite the character and just recently when Super Seth went into the box next to him he just looked like he was saying good to have you here and you do your best and good luck to you.”
Savabeel at Waikato Stud
Savabeel remains hale and hearty and with his fitness closely monitored as well.
“He’s a very good doing horse and we were very conscious when he hit his early teens to keep him fit. He is a horse that can get quite heavy and three years ago we implemented a fitness program for him on the treadmill.
“The other reason this horse is up with his dad Zabeel, who was an absolute freak and dominated, but it was in an era that only had Australasian influence, there were no imports around.
“He didn’t have the competition that there is these days with the Europeans and I’m certainly not taking anything away from Zabeel. Savabeel has been a life-changer, absolutely no doubt about it.”
