Waikato Stud announces 2023 stallion roster

[Wandering Eyes]

Leading New Zealand thoroughbred nursery Waikato Stud are looking forward to the 2023 breeding season where their stallion roster will once again be headed by eight-time New Zealand Champion Sire Savabeel.

Prudent selection and long-term investment in both mares and stallions has led Waikato Stud to the position it enjoys today, including a golden run over the Sydney Autumn Carnival.

Waikato Stud-bred and owned I Wish I Win scorch up the Randwick straight to bring home the Gr.1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m), shortly followed by Major Beel’s tough Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) performance to make it a Group One double for Savabeel on the day.

Waikato Stud proudly offers seven stallions for 2023:

• Savabeel
• Super Seth
• Ocean Park
• Tivaci
• Ardrossan
• Noverre 
• Banquo

Savabeel – $100,000 + GST (no LFG)
In the tradition of his sire Zabeel and grandsire Sir Tristram, Savabeel continues to go from strength-to-strength.

Worldwide, Savabeel has now sired 31 Group One winners and 133 stakes winners to take his total earnings to over NZ$171 million in 12 different countries. On the world’s most competitive racing stage, Australia, his progeny has won over AU$91 million.

This season alone, he added four new Group One winners to his honour roll: I Wish I Win, Major Beel, Atishu and Prise De Fer.

Last season, Savabeel claimed his eighth consecutive Champion New Zealand Sire title, sixth Dewar Award, and seventh Centaine Award.

Savabeel is the current second in the Australasian Sires Premiership, having sired eight stakes winners there so far this season with total progeny earnings of over A$17 million.

“Savabeel provided the highlight for another very special year for Waikato Stud,” Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick said.

“Standing top-notch, proven stallions gives you the opportunity to get great results.

“That’s what Savabeel has given us, his loyal shareholders and those that have bred to him – the chance to make history.”

Super Seth – $35,000 + GST (LFG)
It takes an exceptional horse to win the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m), a stallion-making race won by Super Seth.

His maternal grandsire, Redoute’s Choice, won the same race in the record time of 1.35.8 and became Champion Sire of Australia on three occasions. Other legendary names etched in Caulfield Guineas history include Vain, Mahogany, Manikato, Red Anchor, Luskin Star, and Tulloch.

A six-length winner on debut as a two-year-old, Super Seth also has superb conformation and quality. His pedigree is instantly attractive as a son of the highly successful sire and former NZ Horse of the Year in Dundeel and half-brother to the multiple stakes-winner Wild Planet.

More than half of his high-quality full book of mares for his 2020 debut season were made up of black-type performers or producers of such, and buyers certainly took notice when his first yearlings arrived on the Gold Coast at Magic Millions earlier this year.

His progeny sold for an average of over A$230,000 there, some 6.6 times his service fee. With his progeny selling for up to NZ$625,000 at Karaka, the hunger for Super Seth yearlings continued throughout the sales season, and we can’t wait to see them hit the tracks later this year.

Importantly for breeders looking to capitalise on the exciting young sire this year, Super Seth was well-supported through his second and third books too.

“Those that have had a bit to do with them since the sales have all said: ‘Great brains, great movers’,” Chittick said.

“His own sire has had a phenomenal season. They’re about to turn two and get stuck into what they’ve been bred for, and we can’t wait.”

Ocean Park – $30,000 + GST (LFG)
Ocean Park established himself as a sire of the highest class in Australia in 2021 when multiple Group One winner, Tofane won the Gr.1 All Aged Stakes (2000m), followed up by Kolding’s win in the 2021 edition of the same race. That high-class performance came in addition to his earlier Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) win and success in the inaugural A$7.5 million Golden Eagle.

Showing versatility from 1200 to 3200 metres, Ocean Park’s progeny has produced 678 race wins from 249 winners, including three individual Group One winners and 19 black-type winners in total.

His offspring have already won over NZ$43 million and continue to go from strength to strength both on the racetrack and at the yearling sales, where this year he broke his own record with a A$460,000 colt at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.

“He’s got his best books on both numbers and quality coming through for him, and stallions that have left horses of the class he has don’t just stop,” Chittick said.

Tivaci – $12,500 + GST (LFG)
Young stallion Tivaci is exceptionally well-credentialled, and the eagerly anticipated quality of his progeny on the racecourses of Australasia was certainly proven in the 2021 racing season. As a Group 1 winner of the All-Aged Stakes at Randwick, Tivaci represents outstanding value. 

By one of the world’s most successful sires in High Chaparral, Tivaci’s first and second crop yearlings made over five to six times his service fee, selling up to NZ$500,000. Tivaci yearlings continue to be hot commodities, with the six-figure results this year headlined by a $350,000 filly at Karaka.

From his first crop, Tivaci celebrated his progeny’s first Group One success when Never Been Kissed won the G1 ATC Flight Stakes in October 2021. Further Group success continued with two-year-old filly Wolverine claiming back-to-back Group Two victories in the Wakefield Challenge and Eclipse Stakes.

Tivaci’s stakes performers this season include his three-year-old filly One Kiss, who took out the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes on just her second start, whilst the two-year-old Lowe Flying was stakes-placed, advertising his versatility.

With 80 wins from 49 winners, Tivaci also boasts another two black-type performers in Outfit and Just Maybe, and earnings of close to NZ$4 million.

“He’s a horse that won over six furlongs down the Flemington straight and won his Group 1 over 1400 metres,” Chittick said.

“He’s injecting that speed into his progeny and breeders are really paying attention.”

Ardrossan – $10,000 + GST (LFG)
Ardrossan displayed abundant Group One ability on the racetrack, but injury cut his career short, and he retired to stud as a Group Three winner of four races from only nine starts.

At age three, he won the Gr.3 Concorde (1200m), defeating Group One winner Ever Loyal. He then exemplified his class by finishing a head and a nose behind multiple Group One winners Melody Belle and Bostonian in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m).

With his first crop hitting the tracks this year, he has already sired two stakes winners from just nine runners. The first being Codigo, with a speedy and precocious turn of foot he was a winner on debut and then took out the Listed Wellesley Stakes (1000m).

Consequently, Ardrossan’s second crop of yearlings went down incredibly well at the sales, averaging over 33 times his 2020 service fee, with his top colt making A$260,000 at the Inglis Classic Sale. Ardrossan then recently gained his second stakes winner when the tough Loch Katrine dominated in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m), capping a very promising start for our young sire.

“He’s one of the most talked about horses in Australasia,” Chittick said. “He started off with a small crop and what he’s done, the impression that he’s created, at this stage is unbelievably exciting.”

Noverre – $10,000 + GST (LFG)
Noverre is a Group One-winning son of Savabeel and Waikato Stud’s youngest stallion.

An exceptional type, Noverrre was an NZ$800,000 yearling purchase for Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis at the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka, topping the Waikato Stud draft that year.

After finishing second on debut as a two-year-old over 1200m, he broke his maiden three weeks later. He won the Gr.3 War Decree Stakes (1600 metres) in late October, before displaying a scintillating burst to go from last to first in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton, assuring his position on the Waikato Stud roster.

Noverre is a big, strapping, dark horse, like his sire, and possibly even better-looking than Savabeel. He has let down into an absolutely beautiful horse, both physically and mentally, and covered a really strong book of 127 mares in his first season.

“A real standout type and testament to our stud, we can’t wait to see his first foals appear later this year,” Chittick said.

Banquo – $3,000 + GST (LFG)
Heading into his third season at stud, Banquo is the first son of Australian Champion Sire Written Tycoon to stand in New Zealand.

An impressive type from a great Australian sprinting family, Banquo earned his place on the roster after several quality wins over sprint distances. He broke his maiden in his fourth start before backing up 12 days later to win the 2019 Listed Springtime Stakes at Flemington over 1400 metres on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Banquo is a brother to Gr.1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) winner Booker. His dam, Noondie was a winner over 1200 metres and is by Flying Spur, successful broodmare sire of Champion stallion Sebring and young Group One-winning stallions Pierata and Preferment.

“We’re hotly anticipating the arrival of his foals at the weanling sales this year,” Chittick said.

“He was a $600,000 yearling and the mare sold a million-dollar yearling this year at Easter – they family produce lovely types and I’d be surprised if his progeny don’t attract plenty of attention.”

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