Zabeel – The King of Karaka

Over the weekend the New Zealand thoroughbred industry lost a breed-shaper in Zabeel, a sire that dominated the sale ring at Karaka.

Champion Sire Zabeel.

Standing at Sir Patrick Hogan’s Cambridge Stud, Zabeel was the ‘King of the Ring’ at Karaka, siring nine $1m plus yearlings – the most by any sire.

His first $1m yearling came in 1998 when a colt out of blue-hen producer Eight Carat fetched $1.6m, the same year Jezabeel (NZ) won the Melbourne Cup and only months after Might and Power (NZ) had won the 1997 Melbourne Cup.

For 13 years Zabeel held the Australasian record for the highest priced yearling to be sold at auction. In the year 2000 a colt out of Group 1 winning mare Diamond Lover was purchased by Gooree Stud for $3.6m. The colt was Don Eduardo (NZ), winner of the Group 1 Australian Derby and a Group 1 sire himself.

Zabeel had two other yearlings to crack the $2m barrier at Karaka after Don Eduardo. In 2007 a colt out of champion racemare Sunline fetched $2m and in 2010 a colt out of Diamond Like, a daughter of Diamond Lover, also made $2m.

Among the other yearlings by Zabeel to break the magical $1m mark are Group 1 winners Shower of Roses (NZ) and St Reims (NZ).

Earlier this year New Zealand Bloodstock had the privilege of auctioneering the last Zabeel yearling sold at public auction. It was a momentous occasion with Sir Patrick Hogan himself leading the colt through the ring in front of a packed house. There wasn’t even standing room when the colt went through the ring as crowds of people converged on Karaka, exemplifying the impact one stallion has had on the industry.

Cambridge Stud dominated the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales Series and was crowned leading vendor at the Karaka Premier Sale for an unprecedented 31 consecutive years, thanks largely to the deeds of Zabeel and his sire before Sir Tristram.

The tradition of topping sales and selling $1m yearlings was started by Zabeel’s sire Sir Tristram, Cambridge Stud’s first great sire, who Zabeel will rest next to. Sir Tristram broke the $1m mark twice at Karaka, both in 1989 and both sold by Cambridge Stud.

The magnificent deeds of Zabeel in the sale ring are a reflection of the greatness achieved by his progeny on the racetrack.

As it sits today Zabeel has sired 44 Group 1 winners, 156 Group winners and over 1000 individual winners. His most recent Group 1 winner was last season’s Group 1 Victoria Derby winner Preferment (NZ). He has won more Melbourne Cups and Cox Plates than any other sire.

He was also dominant at award ceremonies winning 15 Dewar Stallion trophies, twice named Champion Sire in Australia, four times named Champion Sire in New Zealand and three times the Champion Broodmare Sire in both Australia and New Zealand.

It is as a broodmare sire that he has recently found further fame. He is the damsire of 26 individual Group 1 winners including Darci Brahma (NZ), one of three horses out of a Zabeel mare to sell for over $1m as a yearling at Karaka.

“Zabeel has been a breed-shaper of New Zealand thoroughbreds and will have a lasting impact on the industry,” commented NZB’s Co-Managing Director Andrew Seabrook. “The record he has set here at Karaka may never be beaten, he was a truly sensational sire. He not only left world-class racehorses but yearlings of the highest order.

“Even though Zabeel is not with us anymore we will continue to see his influence in bloodlines in Australasia and he will continue to produce leading racehorses as he has developed into a great broodmare sire.

“Our condolences go out to Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan and all of his team at Cambridge Stud.”