Trish Dunell
The appeal of the stock of New Zealand’s leading sire Savabeel was never illustrated better than through the sale of Lot 487 at Karaka on Tuesday.
From the powerful Waikato Stud draft, the filly out of No Excuse Needed mare Posy features an outstanding pedigree, littered with stakes performers including multiple Group One winner Daffodil.
A lengthy bidding war ensued with local bloodstock agent Dean Hawthorne outlasting a host of competition, including fellow agent and friend Michael Wallace, to secure the filly with a final bid of $875,000.
Trish Dunell
Hawthorne, who has been active over the first three days of the sale with seven purchases to date, explained the simple rationale behind the acquisition.
“In the old days the Australians came and they bought Zabeel fillies,” he said.
“Many are rueing the fact they didn’t buy enough of them. I think the baton has been handed down to Savabeel.
“While he is still to be proven as a broodmare sire, as a sire of fillies on the racetrack there aren’t many better.
“I wanted one good Savabeel filly and she was the one.”
Purchased on behalf of a Melbourne client, Hawthorne also noted the role fellow bloodstock agent Bruce Perry had in his selection.
“I do a lot of work for Bruce Perry, spelling and looking after his horses, and he is the master of picking Savabeel fillies,” he said.
“We had Lucia Valentina at home and to this day she is the toughest filly I’ve ever had anything to do with. I sort of watch what Bruce buys and this is the type of Savabeel filly that he buys.
“I hope I’m right, but we’ll wait and see.”
Hawthorne was in the thick of the action just twenty minutes later when he outlaid $700,000 for Lot 503, a Tavistock filly from proven racemare Pussy O’Reilly who was sold under the Cambridge Stud banner. – NZ Racing Desk