Derby set to shape NZ Stallion Premierships

Waikato Stud’s Pins already leads the New Zealand Stallion Premiership (‘Grosvenor Award’), but victory by star 3YO filly Katie Lee in Saturday’s $2.2m Telecom NZ Derby could well see Pins also on top in The Centaine Award and The Dewar Award.

According to figures provide by Arion Pedigrees (www.arion.co.nz) to 28 February, Pins is second on The Centaine Award (worldwide table for NZ-conceived progeny), just $132,252 short of fellow Waikato Stud stallion O’Reilly. 

The Dewar Award (NZ & Australian combined earnings for a stallion who has stood in NZ) sees Pins in third position.  Zabeel has $81,509 more Australasian earnings, while High Chaparral is $394,638 ahead of Pins.

With a NZ$1.3m first prize for the Telecom New Zealand Derby, it is clear that Pins would be sitting pretty off the back of a Katie Lee victory.

With a NZ$1.3m first prize for the Telecom New Zealand Derby, it is clear that Pins would be sitting pretty off the back of a Katie Lee victory

ZABEEL, HIGH CHAPARRAL, PENTIRE & VOLKSRAAD

Other stallions who have the potential to drastically improve their Stallion Premiership standings include Zabeel (sire of Derby favourite Zarzuela); High Chaparral (two in the Derby with Monaco Consul & Smokin’ Gun); Pentire (sire of Championship Stakes runner-up, Corporal Jones) and Volksraad (two in Derby with Military Move & Volgus).

Zabeel is third on The Centaine list and second on The Dewar standings, so clearly a Zarzuela win would see the Super Sire clearly on top of those two lists.  With the likes of Zavite, Six O’Clock News, Zabene, Minqar Quaim, Elbaz and Nazabeel all potential runners for Zabeel in next Wednesday’s $1m Stella Artois Auckland Cup, the prospect of the Cambridge Stud stallion further consolidating his position looks more-than-likely.

High Chaparral is 4^th on The Centaine list and leads The Dewar race.  His big hope is the Victoria Derby winner Monaco Consul who goes into Saturday’s Derby as something of the forgotten horse.  The other Derby runner for the Windsor Park Stud shuttler is the Craig Thornton-trained Smokin’ Gun.

The Rich Hill Stud team will be hoping for the best with the stock of Pentire and there’s plenty to suggest his premiership standings are set to improve.  Corporal Jones is bound to give a great sight in the Derby after making Zarzuela work so hard in the Championship Stakes.  Pentire, who is 7^th on The Centaine list and 5^th on The Dewar table, is another stallion with Auckland Cup runners set to assist the cause.  Potential runners for him in the $1m feature at Pentathon, Tinseltown and Tin Goose.

The 7-time Champion NZ Stallion Volksraad is presently 2nd on the domestic premiership and 8^th on both The Dewar and The Centaine lists.  The Derby runners for Volksraad are Military Move and Volgus, while his sole Auckland Cup representative is Willy Smith.