Savabeel (23 September 2001 – 19 June 2026) was an Australian Thoroughbred race horse and active sire. He is best known for his win in the 2004 Cox Plate. He was trained by Graeme Rogerson, and ridden by Chris Munce in his most important wins.
Breeding Savabeel, foaled on 23 September 2001, was a brown horse sired by champion New Zealand sire Zabeel out of the multiple Group winner Savannah Success.
Savannah Success had won the 1999 New Zealand Oaks and Ansett Australia Stakes at Group 1 level and the Surround Stakes (Group 2) as well as a number of other Group and listed New Zealand races.
Racing career In Spring 2004 he won the race considered the Weight for Age Championship of Australasia, the Cox Plate, beating the previous year's winner Fields of Omagh. He was the first three-year-old to win the race since another son of Zabeel, Octagonal won the race nine years earlier in 1995. At the time of Savabeel's Cox Plate win, Rogerson described him as the best horse he had ever trained.
Savabeel also won the Group One 2004 Spring Champion Stakes over 2000m at Randwick.
After an excellent run for second behind Elvstroem in the C F Orr Stakes in February 2005, Savabeel had an unsuccessful autumn campaign which saw him only place once before he was retired to stud in 2005.
All in all, he retired the winner of $2,760,460 in stakes. Savabeel started on 14 occasions, winning 3 and placing on 4 occasions.
Death Announced on 19 June 2026, Savabeel died at the age of 24 as a result of a freak paddock incident in which he broke his shoulder.
Stud career Savabeel stood at Waikato Stud in the North Island of New Zealand, as one of the primary stallions.
He made a clean sweep of New Zealand's three stallion categories for the 2016–17 season. For the second straight year the stallion won the Grosvenor Award for New Zealand stakes earnings, the Dewar Stallion Trophy for Australasian earnings and the Centaine Award for global earnings.
At the 2025 Karaka sales a filly by Savabeel out of the O'Reilly mare Symphonic, full-sister to Orchestral, fetched a price of $2.4 million.
Notable stock Savabeel sired 33 individual Group One winners:
'c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding
Foaled Name Sex Dam Dam sire Major wins 2007 Scarlett Lady fOn Call (NZ)Ironclad (NZ) Queensland Oaks New Zealand Stakes 2008 Brambles gPrickle (NZ)Pins (Aus) Queensland Derby 2008 Diademe fBling (NZ)O'Reilly (NZ) New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes 2008 Sangster gQuinta Special (Ire)Spectrum (Ire) Victoria Derby International Stakes Auckland Cup 2009 Costume fDisguised (NZ)O'Reilly (NZ) Herbie Dyke Stakes Livamol Classic 2009 Soriano fCall Me Lily (NZ)Just A Dancer (NZ) Zabeel Classic Herbie Dyke Stakes 2010 Kawi gMagic Time (NZ)Volksraad (GB) Challenge Stakes (x2) Zabeel Classic Thorndon Mile Horlicks PlateHaunui Farm Classic Captain Cook Stakes 2010 Lucia Valentina fStaryn Glenn (NZ)Montjeu (Ire) Vinery Stud Stakes Turnbull Stakes Queen Elizabeth Stakes 2011 Savaria fAmathea (NZ)O'Reilly (NZ) New Zealand Oaks 2011 Shillelagh fTrocair (Aus)Flying Spur (Aus) Kennedy Mile Empire Rose Stakes 2011 Sound Proposition gEbony Babe (NZ)Ebony Grosve (NZ) Easter Handicap 2012 Pasadena Girl fNina From PasadenaRedoute's Choice Champagne Stakes 2013 Hall Of Fame cAround The Clock (AUS)Galileo (Ire) Levin Classic 2015 Nicoletta fCeltic Crown (US)Doneraile Court (US) New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes 2014 Embellish cBling (NZ)O'Reilly (NZ) New Zealand 2000 Guineas 2014 Hasahalo fHalloweenEncosta De Lago New Zealand 1000 Guineas 2014 Savvy Coup fEudora (NZ)Pins (Aus) New Zealand Oaks Livamol Classic 2015 Prise de Fer gFoil (AUS)Snippets (AUS) Captain Cook Stakes 2015 Savy Yong Blonk fAmpin (NZ)Pins (Aus) Livamol Classic 2015 Sword Of Osman cBunyah (Ire)Distant View (US) Sistema Stakes2015The Chosen OnecGlitzy One (Aus) Flying Spur (AUS)Thorndon Mile 2016 Probabeel fFar Fetched (NZ)Pins (Aus) Surround Stakes Epsom Handicap Futurity StakesCaulfield Stakes 2017 Amarelinha fHopscotch (NZ)Bahroona (US) New Zealand Oaks 2017 Atishu fPosy (NZ)No Excuse Needed (GB) Queen of the Turf StakesChampions StakesEmpire Rose Stakes 2017 Cool Aza Beel cCool 'N' SassyTesta Rossa (AUS) Sistema Stakes 2017 Mo'unga cChandelier (NZ)O'Reilly (NZ) Rosehill Guineas Winx Stakes 2018 I Wish I Win gMake A Wish (NZ)Pins (AUS) TJ Smith Stakes 2018 Noverre cMagic DancerRip Van Winkle (IRE)New Zealand 2000 Guineas 2018 The Perfect Pink fThe SolitaireO'Reilly (NZ)New Zealand 1000 Guineas 2019 Major Beel gGram (NZ)O'Reilly (NZ)Australian Derby 2019 Provence fSombreuil (AUS)Flying Spur (Aus) Thorndon Mile New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders StakesMufhasa Classic 2020 Orchestral fSymphonic (NZ)O'Reilly (NZ) New Zealand Derby Vinery Stud Stakes 2021 Savaglee cGlee (NZ)O'Reilly (NZ)New Zealand 2000 Guineas
Honors and recognition Savabeel was inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame at the 11 May 2025 Hamilton dinner.
Pedigree
References
See also Thoroughbred racing in Australia Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand