Ocean Park on the rise as Champion Savabeel spearheads Waikato roster
Ocean Park (Thorn Park) has sired three Group 1 winners since April last year – high-class sprinting mare Tofane, two-time Group 1-winner Kolding and New Zealand Auckland Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winner Ocean Billy – and is that versatility that Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick believes is making him into the proven stallion worthy of his NZ$30,000 service fee in 2021.
“Definitely his versatility and also his toughness,” said Chittick on the development of Ocean Park, who now has five crops of racing age and receives a NZ$10,000 increase from his NZ$20,000 fee a year ago.
“These stallions these days, it’s such an incredibly competitive market, I think when you do get a proven stallion that is consistent in leaving top class racehorses throughout Australasia, when you can make a bit of increase then every studmaster deserves it when they’re in that situation.”
Ocean Park, a five-time Group 1 winner himself from the 1400 metres of the Makfi Challenge Stakes to the mile and a quarter of a Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m), has among the 27 stakes wins from his 15 individual stakes winners, nine arriving over a sprinting trip, with eight in the mile category and ten from 1800 metres plus.
The 12-year-old stallion covered a book of 189 mares last year, his largest yet.
“That (his versatility) hits the nail on the head really,” said Chittick. “The trainers are now working out that you can really put the work into the Ocean Parks. They have massive constitution and therefore you get the best results out of them.
“It was only last year that he had one of the top sprinters in Australia in Tofane, and I gather she’s back to getting an opportunity to run up in Brisbane which is nice.”
The Michael Moroney-trained Tofane won the All Aged Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) a year ago, a feat repeated by Kolding this season, who adds victories in the Epsom Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m), George Main Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) and the lucrative Golden Eagle (1500m) to his CV.
However, leading the way for stakes success in the whole of Australasia this season is his barnmate and perennial champion sire Savabeel (Zabeel), who can account for 18 stakes winners to his name so far this term, headlined by Group 1 winners Probabeel, Mo’unga, Amarelinha and Concert Hall, while his tally broke through the 100 stakes winners mark this season, with 114 individual stakes winners in total.
The rising 20-year-old son of Zabeel (Sir Tristram) will remain at an unchanged fee of NZ$100,000. He covered 137 mares last year having covered 172 and 182 in 2019 and 2018 respectively. This year, too, will see Waikato Stud take a protective approach to their flagbearer, with his book to be limited to a handful of mares outside of those offered by his shareholders.
“He deserves every bit of that service fee as we know,” said Chittick. “The number of stakes winners he’s had this year is just incredible. He is, as we said, the highest producer of stakes winners in Australasia, and that’s a fact that we’re very proud of.
“Really what we’re concentrating on now is just a handful of outside mares. There’s a big syndicate behind him, which more or less caters for 100 mares, so we probably only really want 20 or 30 outside of that, so that will be the main change with him.
“He’s really healthy, but he is going to be 20 when we’re serving with him this year. He’s certainly better when he’s serving regularly but if we could regularly serve him two or three times a day, it would make an easy season for him.”
The form of the Waikato Stud duo was no more exemplified by the weekend just gone, as Fabric claimed the Queen Of The South Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) for Ocean Park and Savabeel picked up the Travis Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m) on home turf with Pierina.
“Week-in, week-out our stallions are producing high-class winners, and unfortunately that includes the deceased Sacred Falls who had a Group 3 winner just last week,” said Chittick. “We’ve had a fantastic carnival that we’re very proud of.
“With all of our stallions that we stand, but certainly Ocean Park and Savabeel, if they were residents in Australia I’m sure they’d be at twice the fees that we’re standing them at.”
Waikato Stud will welcome the first foals of Super Seth (Dundeel) this year, with Chittick saying the first book he covered last year was the best the leading stud have offered to a freshman stallion.
“I think his first season at stud last year, the book that he covered would probably be the strongest first season book we’ve ever served with a stallion,” said Chittick.
“We can’t wait for the first foals and I just hope like hell that he leaves them like himself because he’s just such a stunning animal all round. Locks and muscle and make up and temperament, he’s just an incredible horse, he’s the real deal.”
Super Seth covered a book of 143 mares last year, including 27 Group winners, 11 at the highest level, and the Group 1 winner will remain at NZ$35,000 this year.
“The way that he won the Caulfield Guineas showed a massive turn of foot and acceleration, which we always look for.
“He should be and will be a very commercial horse and when you pay the sort of money that you’ve got to pay for these horses you want them to be too.”
Tivaci (High Chaparral) has seen a handful of his first runners take to the track this year on both sides of the Tasman, while his second-crop yearlings sold for up to NZ$360,000 this year. He remains unchanged at a NZ$12,500 fee.
Completing the Waikato line up is Ardrossan (Redoute’s Choice), who will remain at a NZ$3,000 fee this year as he presents his first weanlings to the sales in the coming weeks.
Waikato Stud roster
2021 2020
Savabeel (Zabeel) NZ$100,000 Unchanged
Super Seth (Dundeel) NZ$35,000 Unchanged
Ocean Park (Thorn Park) NZ$30,000 NZ$20,000
Tivaci (High Chaparral) NZ$12,500 Unchanged
Ardrossan (Redoute’s Choice) NZ$3,000 Unchanged
*all fees plus GST, LFG