Ten years ago promising three year-old Savabeel backed up from winning the Group I AJC Spring Champion Stakes to beat a hot field featuring Fields of Omagh, Starcraft and Grand Armee at odds of $15.
Second in the Group I VRC Victoria Derby and then second in the Group I MRC CF
Orr Stakes the following autumn, Savabeel never won another race, but the son
of Zabeel has gone on to carve out a lucrative stud career at Waikato Stud in
New Zealand.Fully booked this spring at a fee of $60,000, Savabeel has left 33 stakes-winners to date led by Group I winners Sangster, Scarlett Lady, Costume and Lucia Valentina and Brambles, who finished third and fourth in the Group I MRC Caulfield Cup last Saturday.
Hoping to follow in the footsteps of Savabeel in achieving success at stud are globe-trotting dual Cox Plate hero So You Think, 2012 winner Ocean Park and last year's shock winner Shamus Award, who did the unthinkable in winning Australia's greatest weight-for age contest as a maiden!
Retired to Coolmore following a global campaign that snared further Group I wins in England and Ireland, So You Think has been warmly received covering 374 mares in his first two seasons at stud.
Priced at $55,000 this year, the son of High Chaparral (IRE) is again proving
popular with his first yearlings to sell at all the major sales in 2015."We've been pleasantly surprised by how many have been taken for Magic Millions, which might not be the obvious fit for a horse of his profile, but good types will always sell," said Sebastian Hutch of Coolmore.
"He'll have a big spread of yearlings across all the major sales and the independent feedback we've been receiving, particularly from the sales companies, has been very positive so we're all looking forward to the next stage in his career."
Current yearlings for So You Think include siblings to Group I stars such as Sebring, Southern Speed, Go Indy Go, Cosmic Endeavour, Danleigh, Rebel Raider, Dealer Principal, etc.
Kiwi superstar Ocean Park was on fire leading into his Cox Plate win, recording three Group I wins at his previous three runs before claiming the big one.
Ocean Park always looked a good fit for a stud career in New Zealand with
Waikato Stud moving to secure the son of Thorn Park to stand alongside Savabeel
at a fee of $30,000.He covered 158 mares last year and his first foals are pleasing the Kiwi breeders as you can see in these pictures on our Foal Gallery, click here.
Shocked silence might have greeted Shamus Award when he won his Cox Plate last year, but with a Group I VRC Australian Guineas win in the autumn, the son of Snitzel cemented his place as the best three year-old in Australia last season.
Snapped for a stud career at Widden Stud, Shamus Award has been busy this season at a fee of $27,500.
"He's fully booked and will cover in the region of 180 mares, so we couldn't be happier with the way he is going," said Antony Thompson.
Mares already covered by Shamus Award this spring include the likes of Group winners Hec of a Party, Dane Julia, Miss Victory (Arg), the recently retired Romantic Moon, Melrose Place and the 3/4 sister to Champion filly Peeping Fawn, whilst he's not far away from serving Miss Andretti, She's a Fox, Metonymy, Culminate, I Have No Fear, Placement, Holly Golightly and Pine Away (USA) (the dam of Absolut Glam).
Already in foal are Group I winners Royal Purler and Perfect Promise (SAfr).Undoubtedly the most intriguing proposition for Shamus Award is Australian Horse of the Year Miss Andretti.
Racing in the same colours as Shamus Award having the same primary owner in Sean Buckley, Miss Andretti was the speed queen of her time winning 19 of 31 starts highlighted by five Group I victories in Australia as well as the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, which was still a Group II back in 2007 when she saluted for Lee Freedman.
Miss Andretti produced a colt in 2009 by Exceed and Excel in her first year at stud and since then nothing after a series of slips and misses.
"She's had a lot of bad luck, but we're hoping that will change," said Antony Thompson.
"He's a very fertile young stallion, so we're all keeping our fingers crossed."
