3 minute read

Zayydani takes Gold Crown at Eagle Farm 

Zayydani (4 m ex Ruqqaya by Van Nistelrooy) was victorious in Saturday’s Tattersall’s Gold Crown (Listed, 2137m) at Eagle Farm, becoming the 115th stakes winner for Waikato Stud’s champion sire Savabeel (Zabeel). 

Having her 13th career start and recording her fourth win, Zayydani pulled away to record a two and three quarter length victory over Walking Flying (Tavistock). Windermere (All Too Hard) was a close third. 

The mare becomes the winner for the new training partnership of Ben and JD Hayes, having previously been trained by Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes. 

"That was a great thrill even though it was all the way up at Eagle Farm," said Ben Hayes. 

"JD is back at the farm and he is very happy. I am sure it’s a very big thrill for him. First winner a stakes winner so he might have one-up on dad there.

"I think dad will be the proudest father ever."

Hayes said that the mare could now be considered for a Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) campaign. 

"She’s a Savabeel mare that’s really on the improve and in the spring, she’ll be a five-year-old mare who could develop into a Caulfield Cup horse or maybe a Matriarch (Stakes) at the end of the carnival," he said.

"It’s a great way to kick-off the partnership with a listed race win and hopefully we can continue with nice success like that."

Raced by Trelawney Stud's Brent and Cherry Taylor, Zayydani is out of dual winner Ruqqaya (Van Nistelrooy) who has produced three other winners headed by dual Group 1 winning sire Grunt (O’Reilly) and the stakes placed Addison (Jimmy Choux). Her second dam is Sayyida (Zabeel), dam of five-time Group 1 winner and sire Ocean Park (Thorn Park). 

Savabeel is set to be crowned champion New Zealand sire again for the seventh consecutive season with his progeny earnings almost NZ$1,000,000 ahead of nearest rival Fastnet Rock (Danehill). The Waikato Stud stallion has dominated the New Zealand stallion ranks over the last few years, with O’Reilly (Last Tycoon) crowned champion sire in New Zealand in the 2013/13 season and Savabeel taking the title each year since.