Mark Chittick – Principal at the famed Matamata-based Waikato Stud on New Zealand’s North Island – believes the possibility of Savabeel becoming the country’s most prolific sire (by premierships) – is very real.
Mark Chittick
Savabeel just recently won his eighth consecutive Grosvenor Award as New Zealand’s champion stallion to draw level with Volksraad (GB) and within three of Foxbridge (GB), who won 11 titles in succession and dominated during the 1940s.
Chittick told TDN AusNZ that Savabeel, who officially turns 21 on September 23, is a happy, healthy horse, and, while that remains the case, he will stay active.
“With him, we haven't really had to shorten his book as he's aged. Obviously, we’re conscious of it,” Chittick said.
“With him, we haven't really had to shorten his book as he's aged. Obviously, we’re conscious of it.” - Mark Chittick
“You never do know, but certainly at this stage he’s not showing any signs of an ageing stallion.”
Chittick said Savabeel will serve between 120-130 mares this season, which is similar to last season, where he covered 134 mares and got 120 in foal.
Savabeel ended the season with his progeny earning NZ$3,392,269. From 118 runners he had 48 winners and a total of 74 wins. He was the only sire in New Zealand to finish the year with in excess of 10 stakes wins (he had 12) and eight of his progeny chalked up a stakes win.
Savabeel | Standing at Waikato
The Cox Plate hero also picked up his seventh Centaine Award for worldwide progeny earnings and sixth Dewar Award for combined Australian and New Zealand progeny earnings.
“There’s absolutely no doubt he’s an all-time great. He’s one of the best that we’ve ever been involved with and he’s one of the best that the country’s ever had,” Chittick remarked.
“There’s absolutely no doubt he’s (Savabeel) an all-time great. He’s one of the best that we’ve ever been involved with and he’s one of the best that the country’s ever had.” - Mark Chittick
“You look at his versatility; from 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, older horses, fillies, colts, milers through to middle-distance horses, he’s just an incredible stallion. He’s incredibly consistent.
“He’s a great horse to work with and leaves good, strong types.
“At the end of the day he just makes our life very easy and very enjoyable.”
Chittick added that Savabeel sits comfortably alongside Waikato Stud’s distinguished former stallions O’Reilly (NZ) (a three-time Grosvenor Award winner and Champion Hong Kong Sire) and Pins (also a Hong Kong Premiership-winning sire and dual Centaine Award winner).
O’Reilly (NZ)
“They become such good mates when you’re working with them everyday. I’ve been very privileged throughout my career to have been able to be involved with many top stallions, but certainly those three hold a very special place in my heart because they were characters, they had different personalities, they were just real blokes and they were good blokes,” said Chittick.
Savabeel was the pre-eminent stallion in Australasia in terms of Group 1 winners last season, with six of his progeny - Mo’unga (NZ), Probabeel (NZ), The Perfect Pink (NZ), Noverre (NZ), The Chosen One (NZ) and Savy Yong Blonk (NZ) - all chalking up victories at the highest level.
“That was probably the highlight for us, those quality Group 1 winners, especially in Australia (Mo’unga and Probabeel),” Chittick commented.
Gallery: Savabeel's Australian Group 1 winners of the 2021/22 season
“Noverre’s victory in the 2000 Guineas was amazing, it was an incredible effort for him to win, given he was last on the rail on the turn. To have him back at stud now… he was born and bred on the farm, is a son of Savabeel, was the top-priced yearling of his year… it’s pretty cool.”
Other award winners
A host of awards were presented at the function, which was hosted by the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (NZTBA) Waikato Branch at the Sir Don Rowlands Event Centre at Karapiro, near Cambridge, on Saturday.
There was further success for Waikato Stud, with O’Reilly winning the Champion Broodmare Sire title, and they celebrated their ninth Sir Patrick and Justine Lady Hogan Breeder of the Year Award.
“It is another season that we are extremely proud of and to get the Sir Patrick and Justine Lady Hogan Breeder of the Year Award again – Garry and I and Mary and Pip and the big Waikato Stud family – it means so much to us,” Chittick said.
“It is another season that we are extremely proud of and to get the Sir Patrick and Justine Lady Hogan Breeder of the Year Award again – Garry and I and Mary and Pip and the big Waikato Stud family – it means so much to us.” - Mark Chittick
Waikato Stud’s season was highlighted by 13 homebred stakes winners, including five at Group 1 level and 17 black-type-placed horses. Its elite-level winners comprised of Mo’unga (Winx S.), Probabeel (Might And Power S.), Noverre (New Zealand 2000 Guineas), Never Been Kissed (NZ) (Flight S.) and Tiptronic (NZ) (Zabeel Classic).
And the farm’s Bloodstock Manager, Jaimee Gowler, was the recipient of the Mary Lynne Ryan Young Achiever Award.
“It was a great night. It was the first time in a long time that we were able to get together like that and it was the first time that they combined the Group 1 awards with the breeding awards; I thought that was really nice. It was in a good setting and everybody was in good form,” said Chittick.
Not surprisingly, the Seton Otway Horse of the Year was Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}), with her octogenarian breeder Don Goodwin named New Zealand Small Breeder of the Year – NZTBA.
Verry Elleegant’s dam, Opulence, (NZ) (Danroad) shared the honours for Eight Carat Broodmare of the Year with Galileo (Ire) mare Baggy Green, who is the dam of Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}), No Compromise (NZ) (Pins) and Benaud (Reliable Man {GB}).
Haunui Farm Managing Director, Mark Chitty, was named NZTBA Personality of the Year.
