Mo’unga to stand for $27,500 his first season at Newhaven Park

Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan

Multiple Group 1 winner Mo’unga (NZ) will stand his debut season at Newhaven Park for $27,500 (inc GST). The exciting new addition will stand alongside fellow New Zealand-bred Group 1 winners Xtravagant (NZ) and Cool Aza Beel (NZ).

“We continue to champion New Zealand bloodlines,” said Newhaven Park principal John Kelly as he proudly shared the news that the highly talented Mo’unga (NZ) will make his debut at $27,500 (inc GST).

Catching the eye from the get-go - secured by Aquis Farm for NZ$325,000 at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale, Mo’unga proved to be a shrewd purchase by amassing in excess of $3.8 million during a career that kicked off with a juvenile win.

The Waikato Stud-bred colt showed glimpses of what was to come when taking over at the 200-metre in a 2-year-old race at the Gold Coast, putting on display his exciting turn of foot and reiterating what the good judges have always said about Zabeel (NZ) line horses - that the best ones, whilst obviously improving with time, do show their talent early.

Freshened for his 3-year-old campaign, Mo’unga kicked off with a barnstorming victory at Newcastle and was quickly up in class - at just his third start overcoming trouble in running to win the Listed Dulcify S. in easy style.

In doing so he impressed Chris Waller who told the press that, “I think he has got a great future.”

“They were decent horses he was racing against - he got back from his wide draw and settled, bided his time and came through like a real professional.”

So well-regarded by Chris Waller that he was thrown quickly into the deep end - at his next start taking on some of the country’s best 3-year-olds in the G1 Caulfield Guineas - Mo’unga was not really happy around that circuit but was still able to finish off nicely.

A wonderful, wonderful horse

Given a bit of time, the handsome bay resumed for a new stable, for Annabel Neasham again picking up well late when a first up G3 CS Hayes S. third behind Tagaloa before really catching the eye with a desperately unlucky G1 Randwick Guineas third.

Nobody missed that run and so Mo’unga was sent out favourite in the G1 Rosehill Guineas where again he did not enjoy the best of runs - but, relishing the step up to 2000 metres, he was just too good.

“He is a wonderful, wonderful horse,” Neasham reported - “everything about him; his nature, his temperament. He was further back than I anticipated him being, so I was worried that he had a big task on his hands - but he delivered. He is a very, very smart colt.”

Not having the best of luck taking on the older horses at his next two starts, Mo’unga was back all the strong for his next campaign, taking on some rather handy ones with a first up victory in the G1 Winx S.

A race in which Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) was second, others behind him including Cascadian (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) and Think It Over (So You Think {NZ}).

“He looked the winner a long, long way out,” Neasham said, adding that “he has improved a hell of a lot from a 3-year-old to a 4-year-old. I was really confident looking at him in the parade ring.”

“When he came up outside Verry Elleegant, I knew he was going to be in for a tough battle as she’s such a fighter as well.”

Back to Melbourne where he split Incentivise (Shamus Award) and Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the G1 Makybe Diva S., Mo’unga drew awkwardly in the G1 Epsom H. but was still able to finish on the heels of the placegetters before switching back to weight-for-age - close up when fourth in the G1 WS Cox Plate and third in the G1 Mackinnon S.

Whilst he would not manage another win, Mo’unga continued to race well with another three Group 1 placings in the best of company; mixing it with the likes of Anamoe, Fangirl (Sebring) and Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai).

Exciting time for Newhaven

Five wins and 11 placings from 29 starts is the record he retires to stud with, one which John Kelly is rightfully happy with - “he showed incredible toughness and durability at the highest level, finishing ahead of an impressive of roll call of Group 1 winners.”

“It is an exciting time for us at Newhaven Park, to be retiring a horse of Mo’unga’s calibre to the stud. His race record really showcases his soundness; a winner on debut at two, a Group 1 winner at three and placing a further 12 times at Group 1-level - that’s testament to his toughness, a trait that he will surely pass onto his progeny.”

“And he is a beautiful specimen whose physical attributes certainly match up to his racing credentials.”

“He has been at the farm for a couple of months and looks magnificent - “he is ready and waiting for the spring!”

One of the 144 stakes winners and 33 Group 1 winners sired by the eight-time Champion New Zealand Sire Savabeel (who boasts some of the best statistics in the southern hemisphere - 73 per cent winners-to-runners and 11.1 per cent stakes winners), Mo’unga is bred on one of the most powerful crosses of recent times.

He is by Savabeel out of a mare by O’Reilly (NZ) with his second dam sire being Centaine. There have been another 41 winners bred that way and he is one of the 32 winners and seven stakes winners; his fellow Group 1 winners Embellish (NZ), Diademe (NZ) and The Perfect Pink (NZ) also bred this way.

And there are another 26 stakes winners and six Group 1 winners by Savabeel out of O’Reilly mares - genetic power.

Mo’unga’s Group 3-placed dam Chandelier (NZ) (O’Reilly) is a full sister to the dual Group winner Irlanda (NZ) and to the dam of last year’s Listed Timaru S. winner Phelan The Power (NZ) (Power {GB}).

Chandelier’s Group 3-winning grandam Seraphic (NZ) (Imposing) has proven to be quite the matriarch with her other descendants including the G1 Auckland Cup winner Chenille (NZ) (Pentire {GB}), the Group 2 winners Chintz (NZ) (Savabeel) and Not An Option (Not A Single Doubt) and the Listed winner She’s A Treasure (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}).

Such is the Kelly family’s well-found faith in Savabeel that they are happy to stand two of his sons with the Cool Aza Beel (NZ) being readied for his fourth season at stud; available to breeders for a fee of $16,500 (inc GST).

Savabeel - Australia's best stallion

“I really think that he is the best stallion in the southern hemisphere,” Kelly said of Savabeel, noting that it is the first time Newhaven have stood horses by the same stallion at the same time.

“But they are different sorts of horses - Mo’unga took a bit of time whilst Cool Aza Beel was a fast, early-maturer.”

“I love how well the Savabeel breed do in Australia, when they come over from New Zealand they continually prove to be up to our standard.”

Crowned New Zealand’s Champion 2-Year-Old Colt, Cool Aza Beel created a big impression in a short time - winning four of his six starts including the RL Karaka Million and, at his finale, the G1 Sistema S.

Kelly has been delighted with the response to Cool Aza Beel whose first yearlings made their way through the ring this year. Selling for up to $280,000, they were snapped up by such good judges as David Ellis, Danny O’Brien, Peter Moody, Adrian Hancock and Ciaron Maher.

“It has been fantastic to see the support for Cool Aza Beel in his first three seasons,” Kelly said, “and that has been backed up by his popularity at the sales. His yearlings are in the hands of a number of Australia’s top conditioners so it is exciting to see what the future holds.”

“We have been excited about his foals ever since they were born, they have always looked very likely types.”

The son of a the speedy Cool ‘N’ Sassy (Testa Rossa), Cool Aza Beel hails from one of Australia’s most prolific black-type families; the good-looking stallion able to claim amongst his relations the Group 1 winners Aloha (Encosta de Lago), Malaguerra (Magnus) and Seabrook (NZ) (Hinchinbrook) as well as the many fast “Tennessee” horses.

“He has the look of those Tennessee horses,” Kelly said - “he is a very powerful horse.”

And this is an in-form family with Australia’s best Classic 3-year-old Riff Rocket (American Pharoah {USA}) also a member.

Best to come for Xtravagant

The great Zabeel features in all three of the Newhaven horses with the proven boy on the roster being the dual Group 1-winning sprinter/miler Xtravagant (NZ) who also stands at $16,500 (inc GST).

Earning the title of Champion New Zealand 3-Year-Old, Xtravagant has been coming along very nicely - his 61.5 per cent strike rate most encouraging for a horse at this stage of his stud career.

The sire of the Group winners Lavish Girl and Arts as well as the Listed winners Devoted, Xtravagant Star and He’s Xceptional, Xtravagant has - Kelly said - “the best still ahead.”

“As his pedigree would suggest, his progeny are maturing types and we really believe that there are good things ahead.”

“He has done a very good job from the opportunities he has had and just needs that one really good horse which I am sure he will get.”

Kelly has always thought Xtravagant, with his Danehill (USA)-free pedigree, a good option for mares of that line and he has been proven right with four of his first stakes winners having that great stallion in their dam lines.

“We are really proud of the three stallions we have to present for the 2024 season,” Kelly said.

“I love speed and think that our horses have enough of that - whilst also being the types of stallions to sire horses who can win the races Australians love to win; the Guineas and the Classics - the Coolmores and the Doncasters.”

Table: Newhaven's stallion roster for 2024