Ceolwulf’s impressive Epsom Handicap success saw him become the eighth Australian Group 1 winner by his late sire Tavistock, putting the former Cambridge Stud stallion in elite company when it comes to producing elite winners.
When you think about Kiwi sires to have made a major mark in Australia, Cambridge Stud legends Sir Tristram and Zabeel are the pair that immediately spring to mind.
Sir Tristram’s extraordinary influence saw him sire 35 individual Australian Group 1 winners, while his son Zabeel eclipsed him with 36 by the end of his illustrious career.
Third on the list of NZ-based sires with Australian Group 1 winners is Zamazaan, a champion sire in Australia in New Zealand in the 1980s from his base at Carlyle Stud near Auckland. He had 15 Australian Group 1 winners.
Zabeel’s son Savabeel has produced 12 Australian Group 1 winners, while his one-time Waikato Stud barnmate, O’Reilly (10), is the other one in double figures.
Next on the list is Tavistock, who thanks to Ceolwulf on Saturday, moved above Centaine and Nassipour, who had seven apiece.
It’s a significant achievement from a horse whose breeding career was cut short by his death at age 14 in December 2019 from complications during surgery following a paddock accident.
The son of Montjeu left behind 10 crops, the last of which featured just 45 foals. Among them is his newest star, Ceolwulf, who was bred by Cambridge Stud’s custodians Brendan and Jo Lindsay.
A multiple Group1 winner in New Zealand who also raced in Australia under the name Lord Tavistock, it was clear early on that Sir Patrick Hogan had identified a stallion of considerable promise.
From his first crop came multiple Group 1 winners Volktstok’n’barrell and Werther, from his next emerged Derby winners Tarzino and Tavago. His service fee climbed quickly from $15,000 to $65,000. Sadly, he was just hitting his peak when he died.
But success has continued to flow since that point. In the past three completed racing seasons, Tavistock has finished in the top three in the New Zealand stallion premiership. He has produced 25 stakes winners in New Zealand, three at the top level, but has made an even bigger impression across the Tasman.
From 412 Australian runners, Tavistock has 28 stakes winners, and, as mentioned, eight at the top level. His percentage of Group 1 winners to overall runners in Australia stands at 1.94 per cent, which puts him right among the best Kiwi-based sires.
In that regard, he outranks Savabeel (1.59 per cent), Proisir (1.82 per cent), Ocean Park (1.21 per cent), Zed (1.85 per cent) and Centaine (1.77 per cent).
Ahead of him in terms of percentage of Australian runners who won Group 1s are Sir Tristram (4.61 per cent), Zabeel (3.17 per cent), High Chaparral (2.9 per cent from his NZ crops). Nassipour (2.86 per cent) and Iffraaj (2.4 per cent). There may be others over time, but historical data, even from Sir Tristram’s era, is not certain to be correct.
Australian record of leading New Zealand sires ranked by Group 1 winners
Tavistock’s Group 1 winners-to-runners-ratio stands up well next to the best current sires in Australia. Although not comparing ‘apples with apples’ so to speak, as Australian-based sires have a lot more runners, I Am Invincible’s Group 1 strike rate in Australia is 1.18 per cent, while Snitzel is 1.24 per cent and Written Tycoon at 1.16 per cent.
Fastnet Rock, Australia’s leading Group 1-producing sire so far this season, stands at 1.89 per cent regarding Australian Group 1 winners to runners.
Of all the sires of Group 1 winners in Australia this season, only Bullbars (3.33 per cent), Too Darn Hot (2.04 per cent) and Galileo (2 per cent) have a better strike rate. The first two have small sample sizes, while the third is the most influential global stallion this century.
In fact, the record of Tavistock and Galileo compare quite closely in Australia. Galileo has had 499 runners for 42 stakes winners and 10 Group 1 winners, while Tavistock has 412, 28 and 8 in those categories.
That pair are also the only two sires apart from Snitzel to have featured as both a sire on an Australian Group 1 winner this season and a damsire.
Tavistock’s success in Australia extends down through the classes of racing as well. His overall runners-to-winners ratio in Australia is 76.46 per cent, which is superior to Zabeel, Sir Tristram, Savabeel, O’Reilly and Centaine.
He is the only New Zealand-based sire since Zabeel to have had more than 100 Australian winners in a season, something he achieved twice, in 2020/21 and 2021/22.
Group 1-producing sires in Australia this season ranked by Australian Group 1 winners to runners
All data courtesy of Arion.co.nz
