by Breeding And Racing: At Morphettville racecourse in Adelaide, Waikato Stud’s Cox Plate-winning champion sire Savabeel (Zabeel-Savannah Success, by Success Express) added a black-type success when 3YO brown colt Savaheat (Savabeel-Heat Storm, by Green Desert) stormed home for an eye-catching last-to-first win in the $100,000 Listed Hill Smith Stakes (1800m) for 3YOs, defeating Glam Guru & Box On Collins.
This was the first stakes victory for Savaheat who improved his record to 1 win and 1 placing from 5 starts for $69,835 in earnings. A $220,000 purchase by his trainer Darren Weir and John Foote at the 2016 NZ Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, Savaheat is out of a half-sister to dual Gr3-winning stayer Hume and hails from the family of Gr1 English 1000 Guineas & Gr1 Sussex Stakes winner On The House.
He is also a direct descendant of one of the most important broodmares of the 20th Century in Mumtaz Mahal. One of the Aga Khan’s foundation mares, Mumtaz Mahal’s influence on the thoroughbred breed has been tremendous with some of her most notable descendants including Mahmoud, Nasrullah, Royal Charger, Abernant, Petite Etoile, and Shergar.