15 Dec 2013
The curtain has come down on Australasian breeding’s most famous ‘like father, like
son’ double act with the announcement of outstanding sire Zabeel’s retirement.
His extraordinary success and remarkable influence on the thoroughbred industry has
continued the legacy of his iconic sire Sir Tristram.
“It’s the end of an era and what a ride it’s been for Cambridge Stud,” Sir Patrick
Hogan said. “I could never have imagined what Sir Tristram was able to achieve and
pretty well immediately afterwards came Zabeel to take over the mantle - it’s been an
amazing 33-year run.”
Sir Tristram sired 45 individual Group One winners, including three Melbourne Cup
winners (Gurner’s Lane, Empire Rose, Brew), during a decorated career that earned
him Australasian sire and broodmare sire titles. He was also inducted into the NZ
Racing Hall of Fame in 2008.
“I’ve been fortunate and I’m very proud that the two horses have done so much for
myself, my family, all concerned at Cambridge Stud and everybody that has had a Sir
Tristram or Zabeel around them, it’s been mind-boggling,” Sir Patrick said.
The sire of 100 individual Group winners and 43 individual Group One winners,
Zabeel will now live a life of luxury in the same paddock that he has occupied since
his retirement to stud in 1991 after a successful racing career that earned him a Group
One victory in the Australian Guineas.
“He is enormously fit, both physically and mentally and you wouldn’t pick there was
anything wrong with him,” Sir Patrick said. “He had 30 odd mares this season and
when he came to the end of serving he hadn’t got any in foal so he is officially retired.
“The fertility just hasn’t happened, but he’s a horse that’s not going to go away
though and his progeny in New Zealand and Australia will continue to perform for
many years to come.
“He’s been an extraordinary horse with three Melbourne Cup winners and four Cox
Plate winners and as a sire of sires he’s left a horse like Reset, who has produced a
VRC Derby winner (Rebel Raider), a Caulfield Cup winner (Fawkner) and a Cox
Plate winner (Pinker Pinker).”
The 27-year-old Zabeel has also left Savabeel, himself a Cox Plate winner, who
has in turn produced top-flight successes Sangster (Auckland Cup, VRC Derby,
International Stakes), Scarlett Lady (NZ Stakes, Queensland Oaks) and Brambles
(Queensland Derby).
“Zabeel’s a great broodmare sire as well and his daughters produced the first (It’s A
Dundeel), second (Atlantic Jewel) and third (Dear Demi) in the Underwood Stakes
this season.”
“I might be biased and the Australians may disagree but in my time, and I’m 74, I
can’t identify a horse in the last 50-odd years that has been as successful as him.”
Sir Patrick rated Might And Power as the best horse Zabeel had produced, a short
margin ahead of Octagonal.
“If I had to be on the panel of judges then I would put Might And Power on top, it
was just the way he raced with that great cruising speed that won him a Caulfield
Cup, the Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup,” he said. “I’d put him in front with
Octagonal a close second.”
Zabeel produced numerous six figure plus yearlings, the highest was Don Eduardo at
$3.6 million in 2000, and stamped in the manner of his noble self.
“He’s got a great physique, a beautiful strong head and a very bold eye,” Sir Patrick
said. “They always talked about it in the ring. Overall he is a lovely horse and Robert
Sangster once said “this horse could step out of any box anywhere in the world and
you would have to take notice of him.”
Zabeel also had his own way of doing things that lasted right up until his last visit to
the breeding shed.