Ocean rises as Savabeel tops Waikato Stud roster

Images courtesy of Waikato Stud

Ocean Park has had a brilliant past 18 months with his progeny on both sides of the Tasman, with his flagbearer Kolding (NZ) recently adding a third Group 1 success, as one of five stakes winners in Australia in 2021/20, while in New Zealand, G1 Auckland Cup winner Ocean Billy (NZ) heads his list of three stakes winners this season.

The son of Thorn Park has five crops to the track and had his busiest season in the breeding barn in 2020, with 189 mares. That popularity, combined with his progeny's deeds on the track, has given Waikato Stud the confidence to elevate him back to NZ$30,000 (plus GST), where he stood for his first six seasons before dropping to NZ$15,000 (plus GST) in 2019 and then NZ$20,000 (plus GST) in 2020.

"It’s hard to create a proven sire and he is very much a very formidable, proven sire now," Waikato Stud Principal, Mark Chittick, told TDN AusNZ.

"The initial outlay of a stallion these days is very significant, and when you get that proven status, it seems deserved that stallions, and their owners, can make a little bit of hay when the sun shines."

Ocean Park has become an increasingly appealing commercial option for breeders, with the average price of his yearlings rising to a career-high of NZ$119,260 in 2021, with a top price of NZ$380,000 for the brother to his Group 1-placed son Arrogant (NZ) paid by Chris Waller and Guy Mulcaster at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Karaka.

Now a sire of 15 stakes winners, including three at Group 1 level, his rising status is perhaps best captured by his volume of winners. He has already had 31 winners in New Zealand this season, just one short of his best previous, while in Australia, he has had 35 winners, well within sight of his 2019/20 high-water mark of 45.

As well as five Australian stakes winners this season, which include Saturday's Waikato Stud-bred-and-owned G2 Queen of the South S. winner Fabric (NZ), he has had a further five stakes placegetters.

"They are tough horses, just like he was. The trainers say they just get on with the job. You feed them, you work them and they do everything you ask of them. They cop whatever work you throw at them and the more work you throw at them, the better they are," Chittick said.

"He, like Savabeel, will go from strength to strength. When you look at his numbers and the quality of mares he has had. Over the last couple of years, he has had the best opportunities."

Savabeel still tops at NZ$100,000

Savabeel retains his status as the top of Waikato Stud’s roster, and the only stallion in New Zealand to stand for six figures, as his legend continues to build.

Far from resting on his laurels, Savabeel continues to build his record, with 11 stakes winners in New Zealand this season and an equal career-best haul of seven to date in Australia.

With a formidable lead in the New Zealand Champion Sires' Table, he is destined for his seventh straight victory in the regard as well as his seventh Dewar Award, and sixth Centaine Award.

Savabeel is the current leading Australasian sire by stakes winners this season with 17 winners of 28 races including four Group 1 winners, Probabeel (NZ), Amarelinha (NZ), Concert Hall (NZ) and Mo'unga (NZ).

His progeny have already earned over $7.6 million in Australia this season, again a career-high, and enough to have him 13th on the Australian Sires' Table, with 79 winners overall.

"The last couple of seasons in particular have been phenomenal and have been his best. He has always been such a versatile sire, right through from his 2-year-olds to those older horses. Whether they be fillies or colts, it doesn't matter, he's a phenomenal stallion," Chittick said.

Savabeel who built his reputation on the track with Group 1 wins in the 2004 Cox Plate and Spring Champion S., turns 20 on August 1 this year, but Chittick said there is no sign of the son of Zabeel (NZ) slowing down.

"He's very good. He's very fit and healthy and hopefully he can continue that way. He is about to turn 20 and so you could say he is in his twilight years now," he said.

In 2020, Waikato Stud took a more cautious approach with Savabeel's book and he served 137 mares, down around 30 to 40 on the previous two years and his smallest book in 10 years.

Chittick said that there would be a similar approach in 2021, with a limited number of clients already booked in.

"We will take a limited book of outside mares with him. He has 50 shares as part of his syndication, and there are two nominations per share. When you add that up, that's 100 mares already," he said.

"We'll take 20 to 30 mares outside of that, that would just about do us, and you could pretty much say that would be done already."

Super expectations of first crop

2019 G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Super Seth stands his second season at Waikato Stud and stays at NZ$35,000 (plus GST) after a book of 143 mares in 2020.

The initial book for the son of Dundeel (NZ) was comprised of 27 Group winners, including 11 at Group 1 level - while another 10 were Listed winners.

"I’d go as far to say that the quality of the first book of mares he had last year is probably the best book that we have ever bred with a first-season sire," Chittick said.

The anticipation for his first crop of foals in the spring of 2021 is high.

"He's a beautiful horse himself and we all hope that like leaves like," he said.

Completing the roster are Tivaci, who stays at $12,500 (plus GST) having had only a handful of starters from his first crop to the track, and Ardrossan, whose first foals arrived in 2020, and will stand at $3000 (plus GST).

"Tivaci has got some very good word out here and has had some nice trial winners. His first win himself was as an early 3-year-old. I don’t think it will be far away before he really starts stamping his name," Chittick said.

"We’ve also got some nice Ardrossan foals from limited opportunities."

*All prices in NZ and are exclusive of GST