Stud syndicate swoops on Champion Three-Year-Old Savaglee. 
 

A syndicate headed by Windsor Park Stud, Mapperley Stud & Lion Rock Bloodstock have secured Champion Three-Year-Old SAVAGLEE as he begins the next chapter of his career at stud.
 
The son of 10-time champion sire Savabeel retires as one of the standout colts of his generation, combining precocity, brilliance and toughness throughout a career that produced seven wins from 900 metres to 1600 metres, along with elite-level performances on both sides of the Tasman.
 
Prepared by trainer Pam Gerard, Savaglee first signalled his ability early in his two-year-old season winning on debut over 900 metres in the spring at Trentham before establishing himself among the leading juveniles of his crop. A Group One performer at two, Savaglee was successful in the Gr.3 Matamata Slipper at that age.
 
Savaglee made significant improvement from two to three and went on to dominate his age group during his classic campaign. His winning sequence included the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas, the Gr.2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial, the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas and the Gr.2 Levin Classic, confirming him as the leading three-year-old in the country.
 
His defining performance came in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas at Riccarton where he delivered a crushing victory against the best of his contemporaries. Travelling strongly throughout, Savaglee cruised into the race before accelerating clear to win by three lengths in the third-fastest time ever recorded in the time-honoured classic’s history.
 
He later stepped up to weight-for-age company against older horses, finishing a meritorious third in the Gr.1 BCD Sprint. Savaglee then crossed the Tasman to contest the Gr.1 Australian Guineas at Flemington where he further enhanced his reputation with a courageous runner-up performance that underlined his ability at the highest level in Australia.
 

Bred and sold by Waikato Stud, Savaglee is out of Glee, by Champion Broodmare Sire O’Reilly, and comes from a family that has produced multiple champions, including his sister in blood Orchestral together with Aegon and Daffodil. The family’s ongoing strength is further demonstrated by recent Gr.1 winners Atishu and Sepals.
 
His quality was apparent from the moment he entered the sales ring at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale where he was purchased for $400,000 by The Oaks manager Rick Williams on behalf of stud principal Dick Karreman.
 
A strong, correct and athletic individual, Savaglee stood out as a yearling and has developed into an imposing stallion prospect. Standing at 15.3½ hands, he is correctly made and beautifully balanced, possessing powerful hindquarters, with a great outlook - typical of the best horses by Savabeel.
 
His commercial appeal was further highlighted when a sister in blood sold for $2.4 million at Karaka last year, emphasising the strength and demand for the family.
 
Windsor Park Stud principal Rodney Schick said securing a horse of Savaglee’s quality represented a very exciting opportunity.
 
“I am really appreciative that Dick Karreman and stud manager Rick Williams have been so good to deal with throughout the process of our negotiations”.
 
“Dick has invested so much into NZ’s breeding and racing industry over a long period of time with so much success and Savaglee really is testament to that”.
 
“We’re so thrilled to have secured a colt of Savaglee’s calibre and quality for stud,” Schick said.
 
Mapperley Stud owner Simms Davison also concurred.
 
“I’m really excited to again be involved with Windsor Park and Lion Rock in securing a superb stallion prospect”.
 
“I loved him when we inspected him at The Oaks, he oozes quality and style and is a magnificent physical. Together with his race performance and pedigree he really is the total stud package”.
 
Savaglee now offers breeders access to speed, class and one of the most powerful sire lines in the Southern Hemisphere and further details, including a service fee for the 2026 season, will be announced in the coming days.