Time to move to New Zealand and focus on Karaka as we try to shed light on what the best progeny of a sire looked like as yearlings so we can maybe learn a lesson going forward, this time we look at the mighty Savabeel.
Waikato Stud’s flagbearer has been a mainstay at the top of the NZ sire rankings for seasons, both on the track and in the sale ring with 58 yearlings averaging $247k in 2020, 47 averaging $297k in 2019 and 61 averaging $261k in 2018.
While in the past three years on the racetrack he’s turned out 18 stakes winners in the 2018/19 Australasian season including Gr1 winners Nicoletta, Savvy Coup and Shillelagh.
15 stakes winners in 2019/20 headed by Gr1 winners Cool Aza Beel and Probabeel and so far this season produced 13 stakes winners including Epsom winner Probabeel and last month’s Zabeel Classic winner Concert Hall.
From our database of images we have put together a selection of Savebeel’s stakes-winners pictured as yearlings that offer some real insight into his offspring.
While his stock get effective into the 1200m to 1400m range, it’s when they get to the mile and beyond as three year-olds that they hit their comfort zone which his mutliple winners of Oaks and Derbies attest to along with mile winners such as Probabeel, Kawi and Shillelagh and top class 2000m horses like Lucia Valentina.
Below are all the Savabeel yearlings with images currently uploaded to the Karaka Book 1 catalogue - which ones are the stakes-winners of the future?