Zabeel One of the Great Sires Bred by Robert Sangster
09-01-2012
FEW breeders in thoroughbred history have made a bigger contribution as a breeder of huge sire forces as the late Robert Sangster, founder of the internationally successful Swettenham stud operation, one whose Australian arm is now making big strides at Nagambie in Victoria in the ownership of his son Adam.
Reminders of the Robert Sangster’s sire contribution in this part of the world appear consistently at high level in the winners’ stalls through the offspring of the Cambridge stud New Zealand located Zabeel (by Sir Tristram), those by his son Reset and grandson Lonhro or those from his daughters. Undoubtedly, the appearance of the Zabeel name in a pedigree adds to potential.
The most successful Australasian bred sire of quality performers in history, the now 25-year-old Zabeel was one of the early good horses bred by Sangster when he got enthusiastically involved in Australian breeding and racing. Used only at the Cambridge stud, Zabeel has supplied to date 1585 named foals, 1290 starters, 924 winners (138 SWs, 42 Gr.1 winners) of 3041 races (329 stakes) and earners of just on $159million. His daughters are credited with 847 winners (83 SWs, 16 Gr.1 winners) of 2363 races (155 stakes) and $88million.
Zabeel is yet to catch his sire Sir Tristram, the mid road Sir Ivor racehorse who became an Australasian sire giant at the Cambridge stud by Group1 winners, a total of 46, but has forged ahead of him in other statistics. Sir Tristram’s lifetime stats are 1210 named foals, 983 starters, 678 winners (69.0%) (130 SWs, 92 SPs) 2207 wins (287 stakes) and $53,952,120. Australian prize money has increased greatly since Sir Tristram’s heyday.
Sangster got extra satisfaction from Zabeel’s success as he also bred his maternal grandsire Nureyev (by Northern Dancer), an influence of consequence in world breeding. From use in America, he supplied 806 foals, 654 starters, 504 winners (135 SWs, 31 Gr.1) of 1558 races (305 stakes) and $81,481,701 and has had dams of over 200 stakes winners. Nureyev was a three-quarter brother to Sadler’s Wells (by Northern Dancer), the crowning achievement of Sangster’s breeding history. From his home at Coolmore in Ireland, Sadler’s Wells strode more forceably across Europe than any other sire in history.
Foaled in 1981 in America, raced in Europe and deceased inn 2011, Sadler’s Wells has had 23 crops of racing age for 2259 foals, 1764 starters, 1204 winners (293 SWs, 73 Gr.1) of 3172 races and $202million. He has been leading sire England, Ireland and France 22 times and a leading broodmare sire on 18 occasions – to date dams of 225 stakes winners and 13 named champions.
Also bred by Sangster was Sadler’s Wells’s year younger brother Fairy King. Despite the fact he ran last at his only race start and broke down with damage to a bone in a foot, Coolmore gave him stud space and he rose up from early books of modest quality to be a world class sire. His 779 foals provided 399 winners (73 SWs, 48 SPS) of 1154 races (150 SWs) and $54,136,564. Coolmore sent Fairy King to Australia twice, 1991 and 1996, and stand his Australian bred son Encosta de Lago, twice champion sire, at their Hunter Valley stud.
Shinko King, an Ireland bred Japan Group1 sprint winner standing at Paxton Park, New Zealand, has included five successful in Group1 races among his 176 winners. One of his daughters went in New Zealand to the American bred Red Ransom sire Ekraar and produced Shez Sinsational, a placegetter last winter in the Queensland Derby (second) and Oaks (third) and more recently, Boxing Day, winner in New Zealand of the Group1 Zabeel Classic. A son of Thorn Park (by the Nureyev sire Spinning World) finished second and a Sadler’s Wells stallion third.
Courtesy of Brian Russell Bloodstock Media Service
