Zabeel chalked up yet another major milestone on Monday when Lovin Connection won the York Road Central Tyres Maiden (2000m) at Stratford.

Cambridge Stud’s super sire broke through the 1000 winner barrier when the (NZ) bred mare scored by five lengths racing first-up since last November.

Lovin Connection (5m Zabeel – Rapida by Senor Pete) is trained at Cambridge by Craig Thornton and is a half-sister to Riccarton stakes winner Gin Dartre (Volksraad).

This remarkable achievement comes straight off the back of Zabeel being confirmed as the Champion Broodmare Sire in both Australia and New Zealand for the second season straight.

The evergreen 27 year-old will serve a select band of mares this spring at New Zealand’s famous Cambridge Stud where he will be paraded on Sunday.  He stands at a fee of $100,000 (plus gst).

Among Zabeel’s Group 1 performers are three Melbourne Cup winners – Might And Power (1997), Jezabeel (1998) and Efficient (2007).  His sire Sir Tristram was also represented by three winners of the famous race – Gurner’s Lane (1982), Empire Rose (1988) and Brew (2000).

Zabeel is the sire of 43 individual Group 1 winners, the latest Gondokoro in the Queensland Oaks in June.  He is closing in on the record of Sir Tristram who produced 45 individual Group 1 winners.

ZABEEL – SIRE
1000 individual winners
147 black type winners
43 Group 1 winners

ZABEEL – BROODMARE SIRE
1124 individual winners
110 black type winners
22 Group 1 winners

ZABEEL – PREMIERSHIPS
Dewar Stallion Trophy (15 times)
Champion Australian Stallion (twice)
Champion New Zealand Stallion (4 times)
Champion Australian Broodmare Sire (twice)
Champion New Zealand Broodmare Sire (twice)