The 2004 COX PLATE Weight-For-Age Championship of Australia changed lives.
Savabeel connections show the trophy
Those lives changed in 2004 were the clients of
Dean Watt, Managing Director of Dynamic Syndications, who in 2003 had put together a group of owners to be involved in a raw boned, angular looking yearling, with scope and potential and fabulous pedigree by
ZABEEL from the Group 1 Winning SAVANNAH SUCCESS, to be trained through the Randwick stables of Graeme Rogerson.
SAVABEEL as a Yearling
The colt wasn’t the prettiest yearling you will see at a sale but he was tough, strong and technically very correct. It was early January of 2003 when he was acquired and the magnificent equine Adonis he would grow into had all the foundations but the colt himself was very much in the mold of the pre-pubescent, gorky teenager.
History will show that that this colt will blossom into a magnificent equine athlete.
We always thought we had something special in the black colt from the time he put down his first gallop.
Bred to be a 3yo over a trip he was in early educational work before the early 2yo trials and everyday kept raising the bar.
We believed we had something far better than average and a decision was made to run him in the first 2yo trials of the season at Canterbury. We were so confident he would win his heat we were even contemplating the Breeders Plate.
However he went there and much to our surprise and disappointment on the day he was beaten into second place. Connections were disheartened that he was defeated.
We weren’t to know it at the time but the colt that beat him that morning was none other than Champion 2yo DANCE HERO – winner of the Magic Millions, Skyline, Golden Slipper, Sires Produce and Champagne.
Savabeel went to the races for the first time in February 2004 winning over 1000m by 4.5 lengths.
Unplaced at his second start in the Pago Pago, he then ran 3rd in the Champagne Stakes.
Sent for a short break, Savabeel resumed as a 3yo running 4th in the San Domenico, then 5th in the Golden Rose. Third up he ran 2nd in the Gloaming before
winning the Gr1 Spring Champion Stakes.
SAVABEEL - Ridden by Chris Munce - Spring Champion Winner
Three weeks later the colt lined up in the COX PLATE where he defeated FIELDS OF OMAGH and STARCRAFT.
SAVABEEL ridden by Chris Munce winning the COX PLATE
A week later he was asked to back up in the VRC Derby where he couldn’t quite get the 2500m and he ran a gallant 2nd to Plastered.
Sent for a spell he resumed in the Gr1 CF ORR where he raced brilliantly to go down by a half-head to Elvstroem.
This race was the beginning of the end of his racing career. Invited to go to Hong Kong for the International, he needed to receive an immunisation injection the following day. However he had a reaction to this injection and became ill. He appeared to get over the illness but raced on 3 more occasions but he was lacklustre and retired to stud.
Subject to several big offers at the time, it was the big of Waikato Stud that secured the deal that made SAVABEEL the most expensive stallion to be sold and syndicated in NZ.
The rest is history with
SAVABEEL being crowned Champion NZ Sire, having over 365 winners, 51 Stakes Winners and over $54 million prizemoney.
The 2016 renewal of the COX PLATE again offers the winner a tremendous lifestyle changing moment in history.
We wish all connections of each runner the best of fortune in this year’s event and may the best horse on the day win.
