Savabeel Success with Mabeel
18 January 2016
Talented Savabeel gelding Mabeel (NZ) made the step up to stake company with ease, winning the Group 3 $70,000 Tui - Backing A Winner Since 1889 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) at Trentham on Saturday.
 |
Mabeel capturing the Group 3 Anniversary Handicap. |
The lightly tried five-year-old has now won five races from just nine starts and was stepping up to 1600m for the first time, having won over 1400m at his previous start on Boxing Day at Ellerslie.
Ridden by Sam Spratt, Mabeel trailed early in the race before edging up to sit outisde the leader Irion (NZ) (Danroad) at the 600m mark. Hitting the front early in the straight, Mabeel cleared away from the field to win by four-lengths over Seize The Moment (NZ) (Pins) in second with Mae West (NZ) (Sir Percy) taking third place. The winning time was 1:35.11 on the downgraded Dead 6 track.
“He was quite a handful earlier in his career but he’s matured mentally lately,” commented co-trainer Natalie Young who prepares the gelding with Trent Busuttin. “Sam rode him a treat on a long rein, he dropped the bit and releaxed. We’ll see how he comes through the trip but we’re likely to head to the Group 1 NRM Sprint (1400m) or the Group 1 Herbie Dyke (2000m) on the 13th February.”
Mabeel has had nine starts for five wins and two seconds for earnings of $123,985 for Macau-based owner Deborah Ho.
Ho purchased the son of New Zealand’s leading sire Savabeel at the 2012 Karaka Premier Sale for $80,000 from Shelby Park.
Bred by Plans Awry Ltd, Mabeel is out of Cape Cross mare Ma, a half-sister to What Can I Say (Khozam), winner of eight races including the Group 2 Wawick Stakes and the Group 3 Mapperley Stud Stakes.
Savabeel has 62 yearlings catalogued at Karaka 2016, including 52 in the Premier Sale, the most of any sire.
New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales Series takes place on 25 January – 31 January. The Premier, Select and Festival catalogues are available online now or can be requested from [email protected].