Zabeel (NZ)
Zabeel (NZ) - super sire standing at Cambridge Stud
In a class of his own
10:06 AM Thursday Aug 20, 2009
Zabeel’s impact on Melbourne’s Spring Carnival is unmissable.
Looking at the Carnival's big three - the Melbourne Cup, the Caulfield Cup and the Cox Plate, no sire has ever been more dominant.
After Maldivian’s daring victory in the 2008 Cox plate, Cambridge Stud's 39 time Gr.1 producer sealed his place in Australia's racing history books as the leading ever sire of Cox Plate (2040m) winners.
Dubbed 'the race of champions', Zabeel (NZ) (Sir Tristram) had previously shared top honours with Star Kingdom after win efforts by Octagonal, Might & Power and Savabeel, however, a brilliant tactical ride by Michael Rodd and an inspired training effort by Mark Kavanagh, ensured this shared entitlement was put paid to.
In the world's richest and most prestigious 'two-mile' handicap, the Melbourne Cup, Zabeel currently shares pole position with his own sire Sir Tristram, thanks to the deeds of Efficient, Jezabeel and Might & Power.
A thoroughly reliable source of classic performance in Australasia
In the Caulfield Cup (2400m), the richest race of its type in the world, he is the sire supreme as a result of the outstanding efforts by Might & Power, Railings and Sky Heights.
In fact, such has been his enormous contribution in this part of the world (39 Gr.1 winners), that in 2008 he was rated by international standards as the 9th leading Gr.1 sire in the world...and that is 'ever'.
Zabeel assumed the mantle of New Zealand's flagship stallion from his own legendary sire, Sir Tristram, who died in May 1997. That was just after Zabeel won the first of his 13 Dewar Stallion Trophy awards, and just before he claimed his first general sire premierships in Australia & New Zealand.
He's appeared in the top ten Australian sires (by progeny earnings) every season since 1996, heading the list twice, and has only once slipped out of the top five, in 2003.
Demand for Zabeel’s yearlings has matched the stellar achievements of his racing progeny. In 2008 his 60 yearlings sold in Australasia averaged $349,917, and his yearling sale receipts since 1994 exceed $180 million. He has eight yearlings in New Zealand Bloodstock’s million-dollar club, including Australasia’s most expensive yearling, subsequent Group One winner Don Eduardo, sold for $3.6 million in 2000.
Not surprisingly, Zabeel is proving an important broodmare sire with champion Australian filly Samantha Miss and champion New Zealand two- and three-year-old Darci Brahma heading a list of 10 Gr.1 winners and 40 stakeswinners left by his daughters.
His sire-line is being established by Group One winners Reset in Australia, and Don Eduardo, Savabeel & St Reims in New Zealand.
“A thoroughly reliable source of classic performance in Australasia” is Byron Rogers’ verdict on Zabeel. At first reading it seems insufficient praise for him, but the test is how many other stallions qualify for that description. Almost two decades after Zabeel began stud duties at Cambridge Stud, he remains in a class of his own.