Zabeel: Australasia's Hottest Broodmare Sire

The 2011/12 racing season has been exceptional for Australasia's leading broodmare sire Zabeel, and the stalwart of the New Zealand sire ranks features some select opportunities in New Zealand Bloodstock's National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale next week.

Standing at Cambridge Stud, Zabeel is the sire of 141 stakes winners and 41 Group 1 winners including Cox Plate victors Might and Power, Octagonal, Maldivian and Savabeel.

But Zabeel's achievements as a broodmare sire are equally outstanding, with Saturday's premier meetings in New Zealand and Australia a testament to this with his daughters laying claim to a remarkable four Group winners.

In Sydney, Atlantic Jewel (Fastnet Rock) dominated the Group 1 All Aged Stakes, Invest (Dehere) claimed the Group 1 Schweppes Oaks at Morphettville, and racing at Te Rapa brought two stakes winners in Dolmabache (Redoute's Choice) who won the Group 2 Travis Stakes and Burgundy (Redoute's Choice) who blitzed the field in the Group 3 Breeders' Stakes.

New Zealand's Champion Sire Zabeel.

Invest and Dolmabache were the 93rd and 94th stakes winners for Zabeel as a damsire, with Dolmabache the latest stakes winner for the Zabeel/Danehill line cross. The cross has produced a number of top performers including Darci Brahma (Danehill), Purple (Commands) and Atlantic Jewel.

Zabeel is the also the damsire of five new Group 1 winners this season: the New Zealand Derby winner Silent Achiever (O'Reilly), NZ 1000 Guineas winner and New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Planet Rock (Fastnet Rock), VRC thousand Guineas winner Atlantic Jewel, Caulfield Cup winner Southern Speed (Southern Image) and Saturday's Group 1 Schweppes Oaks winner Invest.

The son of Sir Tristram also currently heads the New Zealand and Australian Broodmare Sires' Premierships with A$10.4 million in stakes earnings in Australia, over A$1 million clear of his nearest rival Danehill. To put this into perspective, progeny of Fastnet Rock - who currently heads the Australian Sires' Premiership - have earned A$10.1 million in stakes earnings this season to date.

Commencing on 9 May at 10am, the Broodmare session at New Zealand Bloodstock's National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale will be offering eight mares by Zabeel including:

• Caffeine (Lot 471), from the Family of Horlicks and General Nediym who has been served by Showcasing, a two-year-old Group 2 winning son of Oasis Dream.
• Kazak (Lot 538), dam of the stakes placed two-year-old Lol (General Nediym), and Rozeel (Lot 616) who is from the family of Super Impose. Both have been served by Iffraaj, Europe's Champion First Season Sire in 2010.
• Starzeel (Lot 647), a sibling to four stakes winners including Group 1 VRC Derby winner Omnicorp (Grosvenor). She has been served by Lucky Unicorn.

The May Sale will also be offering two mares that have been served by Zabeel including Choices Are at Lot 477. A daughter of the champion sire Redoute's Choice, Choices Are is a half-sister to the Group 1 Telegraph Handicap winner Bawalaksana (Straight Strike) and Group 3 winner Damaschino (Last Tycoon), dam of Group 3 winner Shaaheq (Redoute's Choice).

Zabeel is the broodmare sire of five Group 1 winners this season including NZB Filly of the Year Planet Rock.

Choices Are is the dam of four foals and produced a filly in 2010 and a colt in 2011, both by Starcraft. Any foal resulting from the 2011 service will carry the Redoute's Choice/Zabeel cross which has produced six stakes winners from just 47 runners (12% stakes winners to runners) and a further five horses who are stakes placed. The cross has produced three new stakes winners this season - Burgundy, Dolmabache and Papilio.

Scotsman Valley Farm will also be offering The General's Lady (General Nediym) who has been served by Zabeel at Lot 661.

The two mares in foal to Zabeel will be offered with foetal insurance to the value of the service fee and valid up to 30 days after birth. For information & conditions relating to the foetal insurance, contact Insurance Manager Jim Bruford on 09 298 0055 or Jim.Bruford@nzb.co.nz.

Zabeel is also the damsire of five weanlings in the Sale including Lot 54, the colt by first season sire Duporth from Be Inspired, a sister to Group 3 winner Rainbow Styling and a half-sister to Group 3 winner Zingaling (Redoute's Choice).

Catalogues for New Zealand Bloodstock's National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale (7-9 May) are available and can be viewed online. To request a catalogue email Receptionist Faye Hunt reception@nzb.co.nz or call +64 9 298 0055.