A Savabeel Steal - What A Buy

 

TDN reports on Day 2 Karaka - 'Value Buy' ...

 

The second day of selling at Karaka saw a well-bred daughter of Savabeel sneak under the radar early on in the day. Bred and consigned by Waikato Stud as Lot 275, his daughter out of the O'Reilly (NZ) mare Kansas (NZ) was knocked down to David Ellis of Te Akau Racing for NZ$145,000.

The 10 progeny of Savabeel to sell prior averaged NZ$324,000, and with his daughters commanding up to NZ$600,000 on Day 1 of the sale, Ellis felt there was huge value in the purchase - especially given her page.

“We loved the pedigree,” Ellis told TDN AusNZ. “She's out of an O'Reilly mare, who's out of a Pins mare who's out of a Zephyr Bay mare - it goes back to Zephyr Magic, one of the great mares that we've had in New Zealand, she won 12 races.”

Bred and raced by Waikato Stud, Kansas was a winner and has produced two winning full siblings to Ellis' latest purchase, including the two-time winner Jenni Bad Cat (NZ), who was a NZ$260,000 purchase at the 2018 version of this sale.

Kansas is out of another Waikato-bred mare in Breezy (NZ) (Pins), the daughter of the great Zephyr Magic (NZ) (Zephyr Bay) which Ellis so admires.

A Group 3 winner and Group 1 performer, Breezy is a three-quarter sister to the stakes-placed Pin Up (NZ), the dam of Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Sports Illustrated (NZ) (Fast ‘N' Famous).

Whilst the latter was a later-developing type whose best performances came over a mile and further, Ellis sees an earlier-running type in Monday's value buy.

“We thought this was more of a precocious, 2-year-old type,” he said.

“I thought she was a very athletic-looking filly, with good balance and she should run as a 2-year-old. She could well be in the Karaka Million 2YO next year.”

Ellis also noted that she's bred on the particularly potent Savabeel/O'Reilly cross. It boasts seven Group 1 winners, including Cambridge Stud resident Embellish (NZ), Mo'unga (NZ) and Waikato Stud's own mare Costume (NZ), and fires at an extraordinary 12.7 per cent stakes winners to runners.

“It's absolutely fantastic, and we couldn't believe that we were able to buy her for NZ$145,000, so she'll be one of the first to sell for sure,” Ellis said.

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