Ellis pays $1.4m for Waikato Stud colt
WELLINGTON: A breathless Mark Chittick, of Waikato Stud, was struggling to find the words to describe his thoughts just moments after a youngster by the stud’s resident stallion Savabeel sold for $1.4 million at the national yearling sale at Karaka yesterday.
Lot 192, the Savabeel colt out of Pins mare Make A Wish, held the Karaka audience spellbound as a brief but fierce bidding war erupted soon after the flashy brown juvenile made his way into the sales complex auditorium.
An opening bid of $800,000 drew an audible gasp before the big guns rolled up their sleeves and went to it. When the dust settled it was Te Akau supremo David Ellis who outlasted international bloodstock agent Rob McAnulty to secure the colt for $1.4 million.
That result surpassed the stud’s previous best result of $875,000 achieved last year by a SavabeelPosy filly.
A visibly affected Chittick was trying hard to keep a lid on his emotions when questioned about the sale.
‘‘Phew. Where do we start? He is probably one of the most outstanding horses we have ever brought to the sales.
‘‘The comments we were getting said he was the nicest horse that people had seen at the sale.
‘‘We didn’t have a reserve [price] as I knew he would sell well. He has exceeded expect ations,’’ Chittick said.
‘‘There was massive competition from all the big players.
‘‘Te Akau do a wonderful job, bought a beautiful horse and bought a horse off us last year that they won the Karaka Million with.
‘‘They are flying with the Savabeels, like anybody is, who have got them.
‘‘It is just a huge thrill for us, for Savabeel and for New Zealand."
Chittick’s confidence in the selling potential of the colt was backed up by the preauction
inspections undertaken once he had arrived at the Karaka complex.
‘‘He’s been out [to be inspected] over 150 times, way over 150 times,’’ Chittick said.
‘‘He just has the best attitude and is so like his father.
‘‘He will make us proud on the racetrack and when he goes and wins the Cox Plate for Te Akau, and New Zealand, we will be even more proud.’’
Ellis secured the colt as a foundation member of his 2019 Colts Breeding syndicate, a concept that has proven extremely successful for Te Akau over a number of years.
‘‘I was hopeful I could buy him for a million dollars as he is probably the best athlete that I’ve seen at Karaka for 10 years or more,’’ Ellis said.
‘‘He is an absolutely stunning horse and was on everyone’s list. You didn’t have to be a genius to work out that he was the most impressive athlete on the complex.
‘‘We’ve done a stallion syndicate for the last few years and have seven stallions at stud here in New Zealand and Australia now.
‘‘We want to buy the best horses, as we are proud New Zealanders and we want to see the best horses that this great country breeds stay in New Zealand.’’
Ellis entered the bidding with an offer of $1.2 million.
‘‘I was on the ropes,’’ he said. ‘‘I might have had one more [bid], but I just don’t know.
‘‘Everyone knows Te Akau has had huge success with the progeny of Savabeel and trained both of his group 1winning colts, Embellish and Hall Of Fame.
‘‘We’ve won 12 group races with Savabeels in the last two seasons and he is a stallion that seems to suit the way we operate.’’
Among Ellis’s other buys yesterday was a SavabeelO’Dianne colt, also consigned by Waikato Stud, for which he paid $430,000. — NZ Racing Desk
❛ It is just a huge thrill for us, for Savabeel and
for New Zealand
Waikato Stud’s Mark Chittick