Waikato Stud dominates 2020-21 NZTBA awards
Powerhouse Waikato Stud, plus the Chittick family, the stud’s owners, have dominated the first two of four major awards annually decided by the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association.
In normal times, the association would make all of their awards at an annual dinner celebration but due to Covid regulations this year’s presentation had to be made under different conditions, taking place at Waikato Stud itself.
New Zealand’s pre-eminent stallion Savabeel (Zabeel) snared all three stallion awards, the NZTBA recognising, not only his seventh successive New Zealand sire premiership, but also the fact that his stock are hugely successful beyond New Zealand shores.
The Grosvenor Award is made to the leading New Zealand sire based on earnings and Savabeel is in the middle of a seven-year run. In modern times, his consecutive tally is bettered only by Foxbridge (Foxlaw) who achieved eleven during and after World War II.
Volksraad (Green Desert) won the Grosvenor Award eight times including six in a row from 2001-02 to 2006-7 but his streak was broken, ironically, by Waikato Stud’s O’Reilly (Last Tycoon). The latter scored four titles himself, three in succession beginning in 2011-12.
Notably, O’Reilly’s three have been immediately followed by Savabeel’s seven, underlining Waikato Stud’s complete domination.
The Dewar Award is decided by combining Australian and New Zealand earnings and Savabeel added his fifth this past season. In comparison to his Grosvenor awards, his run was broken the previous season by fellow Waikato Stud sire Ocean Park (Thorn Park).
For the stud, however, Savabeel’s Deward Award marks nine consecutive titles by Waikato Stud sires beginning with O’Reilly in 2012-13.
The third award is the Centaine Award which is decided on world-wide earnings. Instituted in 2008-09, all but one (Zabeel in 2009-10) have been won by Waikato Stud sires and since Pins (Snippets) in 2010-11 has resulted in ten titles in a row, namely Pins, O’Reilly and Savabeel’s current six on the trot.
Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick is in awe of Savabeel’s accomplishments. “Last season was an incredible season for Savabeel, he had colts and fillies, two and three-year-olds and five, six and seven-year-olds winning stakes races,” Chittick said.
“I know we didn’t breed him but to have a horse like The Chosen One (Savabeel), who is typical of the calibre of older horses he can leave, it was great to see him crowned the Champion Stayer earlier this week.
“You start to tally up Savabeel’s stakes winners and he is the third highest stakes winning producing stallion in the country and he has every chance of increasing on that. If he could sit between his grandfather Sir Tristram and his father Zabeel that would epitomise what a wonderful sire he is.
“He may be a 20-year-old but he is behaving like a ten-year-old and now he is obviously unfolding as a successful broodmare sire. Savatoxl winning the Goodwood provided him his first Group 1 winner as a broodmare sire, a capacity in which he is represented by 13 stakes winners already.
“He has sons at stud who are attracting attention and there are some colts currently racing that have a huge chance of making it at stud as well. We are just so proud of him,” said Chittick.
Champion Breeder
From a breeder’s standpoint, to be recognised by one’s peers is the icing on the cake for it is only one’s peers who truly understand how much work is involved to reach the pinnacle of achievement.
The Chittick family and their Waikato Stud was named as the Champion New Zealand Breeder form the eighth time, Garry Chittick having bagged his first title in 1993.
The senior Chittick won four titles in the five years beginning in 2005, with a break to 2018 when Garry Chittick, in conjunction with the stud, added title seven. This year, Waikato Stud, Garry and Mary Chittick and Chittick Investments as an entity were awarded the title which has recently been renamed the Sir Patrick and Justine Lady Hogan New Zealand Breeder of the Year Trophy.
The award was presented to Mark Chittick, Waikato Studmaster, by NZTBA president John Thompson with Chittick commenting that there are so many individuals involved in reaching this level of success.
“Obviously we are very proud to get the award again and we are honoured and very pleased,” said Chittick.
“To get four Group 1 winners in a season was amazing and to think our progeny have also been crowned the New Zealand Horse of the Year and the Champion Three-Year-old,” Chittick continued, referring to the recent announcement of New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of The Year Awards, where Probabeel (Savabeel) was crowned the SENZ Horse of The Year and Champion Sprinter Miler and Aegon (Sacred Falls) the Champion Three-Year-Old.
The stud also bred Group 1 winners Amarelinha (Savabeel) and Mo’unga (Savabeel), a further 15 stakes winners and 21 stakes placed performers. Amerlinha also landed the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year title for the season.
“The number of stakes winners across all the stallions and from different broodmares is also very satisfying,” Chittick said.
“When this operation is your whole life and you get results like that it does tell you that the mix must be working. It is one operation, whether the horses are bred by G.J. Chittick Investments or Waikato Stud and partners, they may be different names but it’s all one operation,” concluded Chittick.
Two further awards are yet to be presented, the Eight Carat Broodmare of the Year (sponsored by Arion Pedigrees) and New Zealand Small Breeder of the Year, sponsored by Luigi Muollo. They will be announced in the coming weeks.