He was a good racehorse but as a sire his offspring are the one's now dominating the turf

Savabeel’s memorable G1 Cox Plate victory set him up for what has become a remarkable stud career and central to the Champion Sire’s story is the inimitable Graeme Rogerson, a horseman of many talents and extraordinary drive. Savabeel, foaled on 23 September 2001, is a brown horse sired by champion New Zealand sire Zabeel (Sir Tristram) out of the multiple Group one winner Savannah Success. Based at Tuhikaramea, Hamilton, Rogerson also trained Savabeel’s mother Savannah Success (Success Express USA), who he bought for NZ$21,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale at Karaka in 1997. Savannah Success was raced by an ownership group that included Rogerson and Glenlogan Park’s Jon Haseler and was a gifted performer, who went on to win eight races including the Gr.1 Ansett Australia Stakes and the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks. Savabeel was bought by Rogerson at the Magic Millions Sales for $400,000 and was the major shareholder. He was a very, very good horse right from the start and won his first start as a 2-year-old. Savabeel always showed a lot of ability and they could have gelded him, but didn’t. He was a little bit wayward early and he came right and boy, could he run sectionals – he was top quality.

In Spring 2004 he won the race considered the Weight for Age Championship of Australasia, the WS Cox Plate, beating the previous year's winner Fields of Omagh. He was the first three-year-old to win the race since another son of Zabeel, Octagonal won the race nine years earlier in 1995. At the time of Savabeel's Cox Plate win, Rogerson described him as the best horse he had ever trained. Savabeel also won the Group One 2004 Spring Champion Stakes over 2000m at Randwick. After an excellent run for second behind Elvstroem in the C F Orr Stakes in February 2005, Savabeel had an unsuccessful autumn campaign which saw him only place once and was retired to stud in 2005. All in all, he retired the winner of $2,760,460 in stakes. Savabeel started on 14 occasions, winning 3 and placing on 4 occasions.

Although an impressive racehorse, it is at stud where the stallion has left his biggest mark. Savabeel stands at Waikato Stud in the North Island of New Zealand as one of the primary stallions, and made a clean sweep of New Zealand's three stallion categories for the 2016–17 season. For the second straight year the stallion won the Grosvenor Award for New Zealand stakes earnings, the Dewar Stallion Trophy for Australasian earnings and the Centaine Award for global earnings. Savabeel has sired more then 32 Group one winners from 1200m to 3200m, including a long list of illustrious alumni;

Scarlett Lady, Brambles, Concert Hall, Diademe, Sangster, Costume, Soriano, Kawi, Lucia Valentina, Savaria, Shillelagh, Sound Proposition, Pasadena Girl, Hall Of Fame, Nicoletta, Embellish, Hasahalo, Savvy Coup, Prise de Fer, Savy Yong Blonk, Sword Of Osman, The Chosen, Probabeel, Amarelinha, Atishu, Cool Aza Beel, Mo'unga, I Wish I Win, Make A Wish, Noverre, The Perfect Pink, Major Beel, Skew Wiff, Orchestral

Savabeel’s pedigree is greatly sought after, with Sir Tristram as his grandsire and the great Nureyev in his sire line too. All told, Savabeel looks set to remain a champion New Zealand sire for at least few years yet, although he is already fifteen years old. He has produced over 115 stakes winners and 72 Group winners and has a 72.1 per cent winners to runners ratio and 11 per cent stakes winners to runners ratio. Many stallions have gone on into their early twenties, barring accident, still siring winners. He may no longer be thrilling punters on the track, but his offspring look set to do so for years to come.

RACE RECORD - 14: 3-3-1

EARNINGS - $2,760,460 in stakes

Spring Champion Stakes (2004)

G1 W.S. Cox Plate (2004)