Waikato Stud named Breeder of the Year

Media Release - Friday December 3

Following a stellar season from horses carrying the iconic WS brand, Waikato Stud has been announced as the Sir Patrick and Justine Lady Hogan Breeder of the Year for the 2020-21 season.

It is the eighth time the Chittick family operation has received this prestigious award and they are once again amazed and humbled by the honour.

Waikato Stud’s Mark Chittick looks on as newly crowned Savabeel inspects his trophies from the 2020-21 season. Photo: Picket Fence

“Obviously we are very proud to get the award again and we are honoured and very pleased,” Waikato Stud proprietor Mark Chittick said.

“To get four Group One winners in a season was amazing and to think our progeny have also been crowned the New Zealand Horse of the Year and the Champion Three-Year-old,” Chittick continued, referring to the recent announcement of New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of The Year Awards, where Probabeel (Savabeel[AUS] - Far Fetched) was crowned the SENZ Horse of The Year and Champion Sprinter Miler and Aegon (Sacred Falls – Toss Up) the Champion Three-Year-Old.

Rounding out the Group One winner list were Amarelinha (Savabeel [AUS] - Hopscotch) and Mo’unga (Savabeel [AUS] - Chandelier), while Waikato Stud bred a further 15 stakes winners and 21 stakes placed performers.

“The number of stakes winners across all the stallions and from different broodmares is also very satisfying,” Chittick said.

“When this operation is your whole life and you get results like that it does tell you that the mix must be working. It is one operation, whether the horses are bred by G.J Chittick Investments or Waikato Stud and partners, they may be different names but it’s all one operation.

“Since I bought Garry out, we are still going through the process of transferring through the generations in more ways than one.”

Probabeel provided Waikato Stud with their first Group One winner of the 2020-21 season when she won the prestigious Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m). She also claimed the Gr.1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) as well as two Group Three events in the Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes (1200m) and the Bill Ritchie Stakes (1400m).

Advertisement

Waikato Stud were also represented by three class three-year-olds during the season. Aegon, the son of their ill-fated home bred stallion Sacred Falls, was victorious in the blue riband Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in November after claiming the Gr.2 Hawkes Bay Guineas (1400m) on the way.

Later in the season he impressed winning the L(R) Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1500m) narrowly from Amarelinha, before heading across the Tasman to claim the Gr.2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m).

Amarelinha came into her own in the Autumn and wasn’t to be denied her Group One victory taking out the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) becoming Savabeel’s 22nd Group One winner. A week later in Mo’unga became his 23rd when he won the Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m).

Amarelinha also claimed the coveted New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year title, with wins in the Oaks, the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m), Gr.2 Sir Tristram Classic (2000m), and the Gr.3 Sunline Vase (2100m).

In addition to the farm’s racing success, Savabeel made a clean sweep of the stallion premiership awards taking out the Dewar Award (combined Australia and New Zealand earnings), the Grosvenor Award (New Zealand earnings) and the Centaine Award (worldwide earnings).

It is the fifth time in the past six years that Savabeel has won the Dewar Award, reclaiming the title after his barn mate Ocean Park took the honours for the 2019-20 season.

For a seventh time in succession, the son of Zabeel has won the Grosvenor Award, and it is the sixth time in succession that Savabeel has won the Centaine Award.

“Last season was an incredible season for Savabeel, he had colts and fillies, two and three-year-olds and five, six and seven-year-olds winning stakes races,” Chittick said.

“I know we didn’t breed him but to have a horse like The Chosen One (Savabeel [AUS] - The Glitzy One [AUS]), who is typical of the calibre of older horses he can leave, it was great to see him crowned the Champion Stayer earlier this week.

“I mean you start to tally up Savabeel’s stakes winners and he is the third highest stakes winning producing stallion in the country and he has every chance of increasing on that. If he could sit between his grandfather Sir Tristram and his father Zabeel that would epitomise what a wonderful sire he is.

“He may be a 20-year-old but he is behaving like a 10-year-old and now he is obviously unfolding as a successful broodmare sire. Savatoxl winning the Gr.1 Goodwood (1200m) provided him his first Group One winner as a broodmare sire, a capacity in which he is represented by 13 stakes winners already.

“He has sons at stud who are attracting attention and there are some colts currently racing that have a huge chance of making it at stud as well. We are just so proud of him.” -Michelle Saba, NZTBA

Visit the profile page for Savabeel

Savabeel in upcoming sales:
Advertisment
More Reading...
Almanzor Mare Chasing More Black Type
Group Two performer Mary Shan will be in search of an elusive stakes victory when she heads south to Hawera on Saturday where she will contest the Gr.3 Grangewilliam Stud Breeders’ Stakes (1400m).
Talented So You Think Mare Goes Two for Two
So You Think is setting the pace for winners this season as we head into October and one of those promising winners is talented four year-old mare Enamorada, who made it two wins in as many starts when saluting at Sandown on Wednesday as favourite.
Promising Victory For Too Darn Hot’s Ripley
Racing in the same Qatar Bloodstock coloured silks worn to victory on Friday night by West of Swindon (Wootton Bassett) in the Group 2 Stutt Stakes, 3yo Too Darn Hot colt Ripley highlighted his future potential with a two-length maiden victory at Rosehill on Wednesday.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday October 1
Here is the full list of 49 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Magic Trials at Caulfield Heath
Early season two-year-olds will step out this Thursday, 2 October, at the Caulfield Spring Trials presented by Magic Millions, with 800m 2YO heats following the opening trial for Group performers at 7:30am on the Caulfield Heath.
Swettenham Stud Delighted with Lofty Strike Foals
Swettenham Stud are delighted with the growing buzz of excitement surrounding the first foals for young gun sire Lofty Strike.
420k NZ Ready to Run Purchase Looks the Goods
Progressive three-year-old Sulek notched his first victory when landing the MRC Foundation Pin & Win Plate (1400m) at Sandown on Wednesday for trainer Dominic Sutton.
Autumn Glow Epsom Challenge - Just How Big Is This Task?
With the unbeaten Autumn Glow set to run as the first odds-on favourite this century in the Epsom Handicap on Saturday we thought we’d run some data to see how big this mountain is that she’s attempting to climb, and turns out, it’s pretty big.
2025 G1 The Metropolitan Field and Barrier Draw
Chris Waller and Ciaron Maher are set to have half of the Group I Metropolitan field between them with the Waller trained Birdman an easing favourite after drawing a wide gate for Saturday’s race.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday September 30
Here is the full list of 27 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.