Waikato’s Weanling Draft Showcases Stallion Stars

After a phenomenal few months for Waikato Stud’s stallion roster, the world-renowned nursery will offer seven select progeny of those high-flying sires at next week’s NZB National Weanling Sale at Karaka.

Quality offerings from Waikato Stud at the National Weanling Sale are nothing new. Their previous graduates include this year’s catalogue cover horse Jedibeel (NZ) (Savabeel), who was a $35,000 purchase in 2020. He has gone on to earn A$917,650 from a 22-start, eight-win career to date, including a victory in the Group Two Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick in March.

The 2025 Waikato Stud draft is made up of the progeny of three big names from their stallion roster – Savabeel, Super Seth and Ardrossan.

Savabeel, who was inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame last month, leads the New Zealand premiership by more than $2.5 million and is guaranteed his 10th champion sire title this season. He has also won the Centaine Award (combined progeny earnings worldwide) and Dewar Award (combined Australian and New Zealand progeny earnings) nine times each. He is the sire of 1006 winners from 1372 runners, with 151 individual stakes winners including 35 at Group One level.

Ardrossan has only three crops of racing age and has sired 33 winners from 75 runners to date, six of them at stakes level including this season’s Group winners Yaldi (NZ), Beau Dazzler (NZ) and Ardalio (NZ).

But the stallion everyone has been talking about in recent times is Super Seth, who is having one of the greatest second seasons ever seen in New Zealand. Since the beginning of March, he has sired Group One Australian Guineas (1600m) winner Feroce (NZ), Group One Randwick Guineas (1600m) winner Linebacker (NZ), Group One Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) winner La Dorada (NZ) and Group One Queensland Derby (2400m) winner Maison Louis (NZ). His service fee has soared to $75,000 for the upcoming season.

The NZB National Weanling Sale catalogue already featured the progeny of all three stallions, but the addition of Waikato Stud’s seven supplementary entries has given the catalogue a substantial late boost.

Lot 136 is a filly by Super Seth out of the Savabeel mare Californian (NZ). Herself a winner over 1600 metres in Australia, Californian is a full-sister to Group One winner Brambles (NZ) (Savabeel), Group Three winner Lincoln Blue (NZ) and Listed winner Lopov (NZ) (Savabeel).

Lot 137 is a Savabeel colt out of Coolist, who is a daughter of Capitalist and the Group Two performer Sassy ‘N’ Smart (Smart Missile).

Lot 138 is an Ardrossan colt out of the four-race winner Genius (NZ) (Savabeel), who is the dam of four winners from four foals to race. This colt’s half-brother Andalus (NZ) (Almanzor) was runner-up in the Group One New Zealand Derby (2400m) in 2023.

The Super Seth colt catalogued as Lot 139 is out of the Savabeel mare Queen Leonora (NZ). Herself a three-race winner, Queen Leonora is a blood sister to stakes winner Synchronize (NZ) (Savabeel) and closely related to Group One winners Legs (NZ) (Pins), Guyno (NZ) (O’Reilly), Tiptronic (NZ) (O’Reilly) and Sixty Seconds (NZ) (Centaine).

Lot 140 is an Ardrossan filly out of a three-quarter-sister to the Group Two Kewney Stakes (1400m) winner Do Ra Mi (NZ) (Savabeel).

Lot 141 is a colt by Savabeel out of a half-sister to the Hong Kong Derby (2000m) and Group One Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) runner-up Victory Magic (NZ) (Savabeel).

The last member of the Waikato Stud draft, Lot 142, is a colt by Super Seth out of Wintour (NZ). The unraced Savabeel mare is a blood-sister to Australian Group Two winner and Group One placegetter Forgot You (NZ) (Savabeel), while the third dam is multiple Group One winner Glamour Puss (NZ) (Tale Of The Cat).

“We’ve sold some quality weanlings through this sale over the years, with Jedibeel obviously a recent highlight, and we’re keen to support the sale again this year with a selection of what was a really good crop of foals this season,” Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick said.

“They are some particularly strong and forward weanlings that we think can be offered for sale, giving buyers some good opportunities while also helping to manage our numbers leading into the yearling sales next season.

“But they’re not there just to be gotten rid of. We think a bit of them, so they’ll have reserves and they won’t be sold if they don’t make what we think is fair.

“Our stallions are all going extremely well, none more so than Super Seth over the last few months – he’s been absolutely incredible. This sale is a great opportunity for people to get into the progeny of some proven and extremely hot sires.”

Continuing as a dedicated weanling-only format, the National Weanling Sale is a happy hunting ground for those searching for their next pinhook success story or racetrack star. A proven source of success on the track, notable NZB weanling graduates include this season’s stakes winners Jedibeel and Pivotal Ten (NZ) (Ten Sovereigns), plus recent Group One winners Pignan (NZ) (Staphanos), Callsign Mav (NZ) (Atlante), Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) and more.

All weanlings offered are eligible to be nominated for NZB’s lucrative Karaka Millions Series. Graduates can compete for a share in the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), followed by the $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) as well as the new $1m Mega Maiden Series comprising of 40 non-Saturday maiden races located throughout New Zealand.

Buyers wishing to attend are able to book their stays at the DoubleTree by Hilton Karaka hotel onsite here or by emailing travel@nzb.co.nz for assistance.

View the catalogue here. The catalogue can also be viewed on the Equineline app for iPads/tablets, or the Thoroughworks mobile app.

For more information, contact Bloodstock Sales Manager Kane Jones on +64 27 274 4985 or email kane.jones@nzb.co.nz, Sales Representative Patrick Cunningham on +64 21 512 466 or Patrick.Cunningham@nzb.co.nz or Andrew Buick at +64 27 555 0640 or email Andrew.Buick@nzb.co.nz.