Zavite (NZ) wins Gr.1 Stella Artois Auckland Cup (3200m)
12th Mar 2010
Zavite (NZ)
The relationship between Fairdale Stud’s Fell family and Australia’s Cummings family added a new Gr.1 high on Wednesday.
Previously linked as the breeder/buyer combo behind the 6 time Gr.1 winning Melbourne Cup winner, Hyperno, the two thoroughbred forces combined for further Gr.1 success with the dominant exploit of Zavite (NZ) in Wednesday’s Stella Artois Auckland Cup (3200m).
“Bart bought Hyperno from us all those years back and now his son Anthony has done the job with Zavite,” said Fairdale Stud’s Gerald Fell.
“Anthony has consistently bought from us over the years and all credit must go to him for the way he managed this horse.
“He knew he was a difficult horse when he bought him for A$80,000 as a yearling, but he trusted his intuition and he has given the horse the time he needed to mature.
Although well bred, Zavite’s early manners did little to endear.
“When I sold him he was pretty much close to mongrel. He had a light frame, he was temperamental, not very big and he had a nasty streak that would see him bite you,” Fell explained.
“He became very difficult at that yearling sale. He’d run around and he’d climb his box. When we bought him out, he’d be in a white lather and we’d have to hose him off.”
Having clearly harnessed this strong will, the Anthony Cummings-trained galloper made light work of his Auckland Cup opponents, cruising up to the leaders for Damien Oliver before turning in and then pulling away for the easiest of wins.
Chasing hard 3.3 lengths back Booming (NZ) (Don Eduardo) would take the 2nd place honours, with Tin Goose (NZ) (Pentire) featuring in third a further 1 ½ lengths away.
Held on a Good 3 track, the 7YO gelding’s time for the 3200m contest was 3.18.96, with the last 600m coming in 36.06.
Delighting in his first New Zealand Gr.1 win, Anthony Cummings was full of praise for the NZ-bred horse after the race.
“I’ve been looking at Fairdale’s draft since I was fourteen and I won’t stop now. They’re good breeders, they’ve been breeding and selling horses for three generations while a lot of others have gone by the wayside and I sort of cut my teeth on New Zealand yearlings. I don’t try and beat New Zealand-bred horses I just get in with them,” said Cummings.
Raced by A Blood, K Falconer, Mr G Clare & Ms J L Clare, Mr K S Ince & Ms J M Ince & Mr M J Dalling & Ms S I Dalling, Zavite (NZ) has to date returned 10 wins and 8 placings during his career, with the cumulative effect of this showing trans-Tasman earnings of NZ$600,000 and A$1,122,700.
Beyond victory in the Gr.1 Auckland Cup, Zavite’s smart black-type record comprises: the Gr.2 SAJC Adelaide Cup (3200m), the Gr.3 VRC Queen Elizabeth S. (2520m), the Gr.3 TTC Launceston Cup (2400m), the Listed AJC Australia Day Cup (2400m), and the Listed STC WJ McKell Cup (2400m).
Zavite (NZ) is now likely to return to Sydney to target March 24th's Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick.
Zavite (NZ) is now likely to return to Sydney to target March 24th's Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick.
Bred by Fairdale Stud, who also bred the 1994 Auckland Cup winner Miltak, Zavite combines the bloodlines of Zabeel with the imported 3 from 3 producing Alleged mare, Miss Vita.
Standing at Cambridge Stud, Zabeel has endeared himself as one of the all time great sires with 39 individual Gr.1 winners to date and counting.
No stranger to Cups success, Zavite’s (NZ) win notably represented the Sir Tristram sire’s 5th Auckland Cup victor behind the likes of Jezabeel (1998), Able Master (2000), Our Unicorn (2001) and Bazelle (2005).
Injecting the pedigree with an international flavour, Zavite’s dam Miss Vita harks from the USA.
In keeping with the Palmerston North based stud’s policy of acquiring well pedigreed mares, Zavite's (NZ) existence came to be after a phone call had between Fell and the expatriate New Zealander and now independent Bloodstock agent in Ireland and England, Larry Stratton.
“I bought Zavite’s dam Miss Vita (USA) from Ireland, sight unseen over the phone,” said Fell.
“We are very keen on mares with strong taproots and she had this in spades being out of a mare who was a 3/4 sister to the Champion galloper Suave Dancer, who was himself the winner of the 1991 Gr.1 Prix de L’ Arc De Triomphe (2400m) and the Gr.1 Irish Champion Stakes (2400m)."
Landing in New Zealand at a cost of approximately NZ$70,000 – NZ$80,000, Miss Vita (USA) was sent to Zabeel in her first season for the respective winners Mybigfatgreekhorse (NZ) and Zavite (NZ).
Subsequently sent to Stravinsky in 2004 for the Brisbane winner Trescorpioni, Miss Vita (USA) later patronised Fairdale Stud’s own Gr.1 sire Howbaddouwantit in 2006, producing a yet unnamed colt that is based in West Australia.
Miss Vita is currently in-foal to Fully Fledged and will be among the first mare’s to visit fellow Fairdale Stud sire Nom Du Jeu in 2010.