The Chris Waller-trained mare became the sixth winner of the Caulfield Cup in the past 24 years to feature Zabeel in their pedigree, while third-placed The Chosen One (Savabeel) became the 14th descendant of the influential New Zealand stallion to feature among the top three.
While the regular appearance of his bloodlines among the best-performed horses in one of Australia's great staying races would not necessarily surprise given Zabeel's performance as a stallion, it is still a noteworthy achievement in an era where the race itself, like the Melbourne Cup, has become increasingly internationalised.
The late Zabeel (NZ)
As a measure of that international trend, over the past three editions, 68.5 per cent of Caulfield Cup runners have been bred outside Australia or New Zealand. Twenty years ago, that three-year average was 11.3 per cent.
Of the seven Australasian-bred runners in Saturday's race, three of them were descended from Zabeel, and only 14th-placed Toffee Tongue (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) finished outside the placings.
Initial representatives
It was back in 1997 that Zabeel had his initial representative in a Caulfield Cup and what a first impression it was his star son Might And Power (NZ) romped away to a 7.5l-win in track record time for trainer Jack Denham and jockey Jim Cassidy.
Two years later, the ascendancy of Zabeel as Australasia's premier producer of elite stayers was confirmed when his progeny completed a clean sweep of the placings in the Caulfield Cup. In an incredible result for the stallion, the Colin Alderson-trained Sky Heights (NZ) defeated the mares Laebeel (NZ) and Inaflury (NZ). They were the only three Zabeels in the race.
Might And Power (NZ) returning to scale after victory in the 1997 Caulfield Cup
Sky Heights would run second behind Kiwi mare Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm {USA}) in 2001, while four years later the John Hawkes-trained Railings would become the third (and last) of Zabeel's progeny to win the race. In that nine-year period, Zabeel had had 20 runners in the race for a trio of winners and a trio of placegetters.
In 2011, the baton was passed to the next generation, when Southern Speed (Southern Halo {USA}) won the race. The Leon Macdonald-trained mare is out of Golden Eagle (NZ), a daughter of Zabeel. Behind her in third place that day was Tullamore (NZ) (Savabeel), who became the first Caulfield Cup placegetter by a son of the great sire.
The Peter Moody-trained Lights Of Heaven (NZ) became the final Cup placegetter for Zabeel when third in 2012, while in 2013, the Caulfield Cup featured its first winner by one of his sons, when the Lloyd Williams-owned Fawkner (Reset) won for trainer Robert Hickmott.
Placed behind Fawkner on that occasion was Dear Demi (Dehere {USA}), whose dam, Shirley (NZ), was by Zabeel.
The new generation
In 2014, the Zabeel bloodlines were also in the placings in the Caulfield Cup when Savabeel's daughter Lucia Valentina (NZ) finished third behind Admire Rakti (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}).
Prior to Saturday, the influence of Zabeel on the Caulfield Cup had dulled somewhat, with none of the placegetters in the past five editions having featured him in their pedigrees.
But his influence was firmly back to the fore thanks to his brilliant granddaughter Verry Elleegant, who claimed her sixth Group 1 win, as well as The Chosen One, whose third-placed performance provided a third podium position for Savabeel.
The 2020 Caulfield Cup winner, Verry Elleegant (NZ)
Verry Elleegant's sire, the Grangewilliam Stud-based Zed (NZ), has never been the most fashionable of stallions, but has produced a star befitting the sireline in the 5-year-old mare, who will look to become the first horse in 19 years to win the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup in the same year.
Verry Elleegant is also a terrific advertisement for the effectiveness of a double-Danehill (USA) cross. Zed is out of a mare by Danehill, who also features as the grandsire of Verry Elleegant's dam Opulence (NZ) (Danroad), in what is a 3 x 3 cross.
Her pedigree also features a 5 x 5 cross to the blue hen Eight Carat (GB) (Pieces Of Eight {GB}), while the influential Northern Dancer (Can) features four times in that fifth generation of her pedigree.
