Before They Were Famous - TDN 'discovers' Probabeel

TDN Australia & New Zealand - Thoroughbred Daily News reports:

In this series TDN AusNZ will take a look at Group 1 runners before they were successful on the racetrack; speaking to breeders, breakers and trainers on their formative years.

Probabeel (NZ)

Savabeel x Far Fetched (Pins)

Winner - G1 Heineken 3 Surround S. 1400m

Placegetter - G1 Darley Flight S. 1600m

Placegetter - G1 Vinery Stud S. 2000m

Placegetter - G2 Phar Lap S. 1500m

Placegetter - G2 Darley Tea Rose S. 1400m

Winner - Listed R. Karaka Million 2YO 1200m

Winner - Listed Karaka Million 3YO Classic 1600m

TDN AusNZ: What was Probabeel (NZ) like as a foal, and what was the foaling down like?

Kerri Cox, Waikato Stud: Probabeel
was born at 2.20am on November 6, 2016. It was a normal and straight
forward foaling. She was a lovely athletic foal with a good nature.

TDN AusNZ: What was she like as a weanling?

KC: She
was a stand out all the way through her development and she was in the
keeper mob for a long time as Mark loved her. After much discussion, we
decided to sell her as she was a headline filly in our draft and her dam
was young so we thought we had time to get another filly out of her.
Unfortunately we lost the mare the following year which was devastating.

TDN AusNZ: What was Probabeel like through her yearling prep?

KC: She
was a stunning yearling, had the best nature and was very well loved by
all, especially Libby Olsen who has hundreds of videos and pictures of
her throughout prep. Growing up she was mates with a Pins filly now named Vincere (NZ) who is also trained by Te Akau.

TDN AusNZ: Could you foresee her career unfolding as it has?

KC: We
always imagined she would be a star as she had the looks, pedigree and
temperament to be a great racehorse and we have all loved following her
career.

The sales company

TDN
AusNZ: What was it about Probabeel that first struck you? Can you
please explain her physically and explain why she was selected for this
sale?

Danny Rolston, New Zealand Bloodstock: By the time we went to do the selections for the 2018 Karaka Sale Savabeel was
already absolutely flying on the track and in the sale ring, so a filly
like this practically selected herself. Despite her November birthdate
she was always a good size, fairly typical of her paternal sireline.

TDN AusNZ: What about her pedigree? What aspect of her page peaked your interest?

DR: When
it comes to pedigree Savabeel very much likes that Pins blood that she
carries through her mother, that cross is responsible for 13 stakes
winners and the high stakes winners to runner percentage of 13 per cent.

So she's very much a product of the Waikato Stud breeding model, out of Pins mare, out of a Centaine mare, out of an O'Reilly
(NZ) mare. So looking very obvious on paper in hindsight I guess, but
all of those sirelines work particularly well with Savabeel and her
$380,000 price tag to Te Akau looked - all things considered - a very
fair price for that pedigree and that sire at the time.

TDN AusNZ: Could you forsee her success?

DR: I'll go out on a limb and be very honest here, I didn't pick her as a 2-year-old. I had her down pegged as a 3-year-old style of filly and just wanting that bit more time, how wrong I could be turning into our Karaka 2YO Million winner and then going on to make history and win the Karaka 3YO Million also as well as the G1 Surround S.!

Yearling purchase

TDN AusNZ: What was it about Probabeel that first struck you, either at the on farm visits or at the sale?

David Ellis: Some
yearlings make an immediate impact and Probabeel was certainly one. Te
Akau has had extraordinary success with the stock of Savabeel and she
has been no exception. She was a “must buy” on my short-list - I
actually bought her on spec and was delighted when Brendan Lindsay
contacted me wanting to purchase her and have Te Akau train her for him
and Jo.

TDN AusNZ: Can you please explain her physically as a yearling?

DE: She
was a filly with plenty strength and always looked like she would
develop into a natural athlete. She is by a champion stallion as I
mentioned that we have had unprecedented success with. I just loved this
cross - Savabeel out of a Pins mare, and as an individual, she was
powerful and well-muscled and had an abundance of quality about her.

TDN AusNZ: Were there any key things you saw that made her stand out from others?

DE: From
the time I first inspected her I gave her a very rare grade for me - a
“Straight A”. She was a filly that had a great shoulder, good length of
hip, a good deep girth and was a very athletic individual. She has
obviously delivered on our expectations with her dual Karaka 2YO and 3YO
Million wins and her G1 Surround S. victory. She has proven highly
competitive at the elite level in Sydney this season also being runner
up in both the G1 Flight S. and G1 Vinery Stud S., as well as the G2
Phar Lap and G2 Tea Rose events.

Early education

TDN AusNZ: What was your first impression of the horse?

Jamie Richards: I
clearly remember her trialling at Te Teko and really showing a superb
action and a lot of class - our Te Akau Singapore trainer Mark Walker
also said to me “you've got one there, I haven't seen a horse trial that
well since King's Chapel”. King's Chapel of course won the $500,000 Mercedes Classique for 2-year-olds, the forerunner to the Karaka 2YO Million.

TDN AusNZ: What was her temperament like?

JR: Probabeel
is, and has always been, very laid back in her approach to training and
racing - nothing is ever an issue with her - she has a wonderful
temperament.

TDN AusNZ: Does she have any standout traits?

JR: When
racing, she can sometimes appear to hit a “flat spot” at around the 600
metres but she is always ‘tricking' and once she is balanced up, you
should see the acceleration she has up her sleeve.

TDN AusNZ: How soon did you see something ‘special' in her?

JR: I always believed she had great promise and when she stepped out at the Te Teko trials, I knew my opinion was ‘spot on'.

TDN AusNZ: Is she a team favourite?

JR:
We call Probabeel “Jo” after her owner Jo Lindsay and she is indeed one
of those horses that endears herself to you - she is straightforward,
very no-fuss and even-tempered and every race, she gives her all and
tries her heart out. She's got so much determination and just wants to
win. Every trainer loves these attributes in a horse. We don't have
favourites in the stable, we treat every horse as the individual they
are and make sure that our approach and planning takes that into
account.

TDN AusNZ: What are the highlights of having her under your care?

JR: To
win the Karaka 2YO Million and then return a year later to win the
Karaka 3YO Million this year was an incredible highlight. No horse has
ever achieved the double and for her to be the first to do so, and on
the eve of the Karaka Yearling Sale that was very special - especially
for Jo and Brendan Lindsay of Cambridge Stud as they began presenting
their second draft as Cambridge Stud owners the next day. Obviously
seeing her claim her well-deserved Group 1 in the Surround S. in Sydney
this season was a massive thrill for us all.

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