Sale Topping Savabeel Colt to Te Akau

TDN's (Thoroughbred Daily News) Paul Vetisse reports:

David Ellis had a set plan when he arrived at Karaka for the opening session of New Zealand Bloodstock's Ready to Run Sale and he didn't deviate from it, digging deep to secure the top two colts on his list.

The Akau principal went to NZ$500,000 for the auction-topping Savabeel colt, Lot 162, offered by Sam Beatson's Riversley Park and minutes earlier had out bid his opposition to claim a son of Pierro, also offered by Riversley, for NZ$340,000.

“I said to my wife Karyn (Fenton-Ellis) on Tuesday morning why not buy the two best colts in the sale and put them into a stallions' syndicate,” Ellis said.

“I got the Pierro and then the Savabeel and, if they win at the top level, even in New Zealand they are worth $15 or $20 million.

“My team of Mark Walker and Jamie Richards and I thought those two were the best colts and I am delighted to have them at Te Akau Racing.”

Ellis said 25 per cent of the pair had already been syndicated and he will be hosting an open day in the future to complete that process.

“I just love Savabeel and we've had huge success with them and I'm breeding to him myself this season.

“This colt is the first foal of an Iffraaj mare and Melody Belle is the first foal of an Iffraaj mare.”

The Savabeel was consigned by Riversley on behalf of Gerald and Duncan Fell's Fairdale Stud.

“I saw this horse as a yearling and liked him. Duncan had two nice Savabeel colts and I bought the other one (Cool Aza Beel), which won its first start and is in a stakes race on Saturday,” Ellis said.

“This Savabeel looks a precocious type to me and I'm very excited to have a horse of this quality.”

The colt is a son of Saoirse (Iffraaj {GB}) from the family of the Group 1 winning siblings Headturner (Anabaa) and Anacheeva and O'Marilyn (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}). 

“He was passed in as a yearling so we took him home and he just bloomed,” Gerald Fell said. “It;'s a great result.”

The Pierro colt, sold by Baramul Stud for $145,000 at the Gold Coast for $145,000, attracted Ellis both on type and pedigree.

“He's got a very interesting pedigree. He's out of a Redoute's Choice mare, who's out of a Sir Tristram mare who's out of a Zamazaan mare - three of the best sires in my lifetime,” he said.

The Pierro's dam is the unraced Rose Of Pania, who is a sister to the dual Group 1 winner Lotteria and also the family of the unbeaten Hong Kong galloper Inferno (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}).

“He's a magnificent athlete and I think he'll run as a 2-year-old. We'll get both of them to Te Akau and have 10 days in the paddock before we get them going.”

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