The Chosen One is the 27th Gr.1 winner for his champion sire Savabeel (Zabeel) and the 12th for one-time Irish National Stud shuttle-sire Flying Spur (Danehill) as a broodmare sire winning today’s Thorndon Mile at Trentham.
Racing for the first time since running fifth in the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) back in November, The Chosen One enjoyed a trouble-free run in fourth place to the home turn. Angled out to make his run The Chosen One took a little while to gather momentum but then raced into the lead with 200 metres to go and went clear to score a dominant win (pic: Race Images).
It is the first win at the highest level for The Chosen One and his fifth stake win in seven career victories when he has twice been named Champion Stayer in New Zealand. Wins aside The Chosen One has four Gr.1 placings including the Sydney and Caulfield Cups.
Led out unsold after failing to meet his $150,000 reserve when offered at Karaka as a yearling, The Chosen One was syndicated by his breeders the Dennis family, who retain a 40 percent interest, at the behest of Milan Park’s Tony Rider, who also has a share. He now boasts earnings in excess of A$2.1 million.
Savabeel also has Gr.1 winner Shillelagh out of a Flying Spur mare as well as Australian Gr.1 winner Pasadena Girl out of a mare by Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) while New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner Hasahalo has Danehill as her maternal grandsire.
The Chosen One’s granddam is by O’Reilly (Last Tycoon) and Savabeel has enjoyed great success with mares carrying O’Reilly notably seven Gr.1 winners out of mares by O’Reilly including Diademe, Mo’Unga, Amarelinha and Savaria.
Gr.1 winner Savabeel was advertised at $NZ100,000 at Waikato Stud in 2021.
The Chosen One is out of The Glitzy One (Flying Spur), a winner eight times in New Zealand and five stakes placings including second in the Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup.
The Glitzy One is a half-sister to three-time Gr.3 White Robe Lodge Stakes at Otago winner The Diamond One (Tale Of The Cat) and L.R. Hazlett Stakes at Otago winner The Precious One (Darci Brahma).
The Dennis Brothers of Southland have cultivated this family with the ‘The’ prefix over several generations. The Chosen One’s granddam The Jewel (O’Reilly) won the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas and Waikato International Stakes, placing in the New Zealand and Queensland Oaks as well as the New Zealand 2000 Guineas.
The third-dam The Grin (Grosvenor) won the L.R. Breeders’ Stakes at Otago and Southland Guineas and left three stakes winners – The Jewel, Gr.2 Travis Stakes at Cambridge winner Star Affair (Star Way), dam of Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner La Diosa (So You Think), and Gr.3 Danehill Stakes at Flemington winner The One.
The Chosen One’s fourth dam The Dimple (Noble Bijou) won 10-times at stakes level in New Zealand including two runnings of the Gr.3 Timaru Cup.
The Glitzy One died in 2017.