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Yarraman Park hellbent on achieving success with their emerging sire
Paul Symes
ANZ News
With I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) in the twilight of his incredible career, Yarraman Park have been scouring the stallion markets to uncover their next champion but the Mitchell family might need to call off the search following the rapid rise of their flagbearer’s son and fellow resident, Hellbent.
Victory in the Hong Kong Derby (Listed, 2000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday night saw Invincible Ibis become the 11th individual stakes winner for Hellbent, who is enjoying his best season to date with racetrack earnings north of $10 million positioning him eighth in the Australian Sires’ Premiership.
Given that two of his peers above him in the list – current pacesetter Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) and seventh-placed Fastnet Rock (Danehill) – are no longer around and Hellbent’s best years are almost certainly ahead of him, it is not inconceivable that his current trajectory could eventually culminate in his ascension to the top rungs of the stallion ranks.
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While that assumption is, at least for now, purely speculative, what cannot be argued is that the 13-year-old’s high fertility rate – 135 of the 155 mares he covered last season are now in foal – and the cool temperament he passes onto his stock represents a potent combination.
Another key weapon in Hellbent’s armoury is his versatility, with Invincible Ibis’ middle-distance feats at one end of the spectrum complemented by Group 1 success for his speedy daughters Benedetta and Magic Time over sprint trips.
According to Yarraman’s co-director Harry Mitchell, Hellbent’s rapid rise has come as no surprise to the team at the famed Scone farm, where he stands for a service fee of $38,500 (inc GST) which will in all likelihood be revised upwards later this year.
“Hellbent has been getting a lot of traction in Hong Kong with the winners he’s had, and now to win their most prestigious race will only increase his profile further over there,” Mitchell told ANZ News.
“The best thing about the stallion is that he’s now producing very good colts and fillies, there was maybe a view that he was getting better fillies but he’s now getting just as many good colts. He’s also producing milers or even horses capable of getting over further, as we saw with Invincible Ibis.
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“He’s also getting better mares, his last couple of books have been much stronger so he’s well on his way now
“So his versatility is going to stand him in very good stead moving forward, because it’s such a massive advantage as is the fact that his stock all seem to be so relaxed. He had such a good temperament and his stock seem to handle big crowds, they just take everything in their stride. He’s also getting better mares, his last couple of books have been much stronger so he’s well on his way now.
“And there’s every reason to think his results will only improve in the coming years, his stock invariably improves with age. We’ve seen that with the likes of Vivy Air, who was maybe only a moderate performer last year but has gone to a new level this prep as a five-year-old. If you’ve got a stallion who is only capable of producing up-and-running two-year-olds, they’re not going to last very long.”
Another example of Hellbent’s ability to produce enduring athletes is the emergence of Brad Widdup’s stable star Savvy Hallie, who led from pillar to post in the Light Fingers Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) before fighting Tempted (Street Boss) all the way to the line in the Surround Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m).
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The filly’s dam Rose Of Savannah is by Fastnet Rock and that match has consistently provided dynamite results, with Coolmore’s late, great stallion also siring the mother of another of Hellbent’s stakes winners in Sunrays.
“It’s probably taken us a while to figure out what type of mares really suit Hellbent,” said Mitchell.
“He’s such a beautiful specimen but he’s not an overly heavy horse, so we’ve had to be quite selective but we now think we’ve struck a chord with the type of mares that really suit him. His record with Fastnet Rock mares has been quite phenomenal, because he’s been very good at injecting a bit of speed and quality into those types of mare.
“His fertility seems to get better every year, but we limit his book to around 150 mares so that we don’t overtax him. We know how fortunate we are to find a horse like him who we think is capable of following I Am Invincible. We’ve obviously had such a great run with Vinnie but it had concerned us that he would be a very tough act to follow, so it’s very exciting to see Hellbent step up to the plate and it’s certainly our aim to make him a champion sire.”
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With three lots by Hellbent forming part of Yarraman’s 15-strong draft at the upcoming Australian Easter Yearling Sale, the timing of Invincible Ibis’ dominant win in Hong Kong’s most coveted prize is particularly opportunistic.
Hellbent was not represented at Inglis’ premium sale last year, so that alone tells the story of the higher esteem in which he is now held by the sales companies and further evidence of that shifting perspective is provided by his sales average this year, which for the first time exceeds $150,000.
A record price for a Hellbent yearling was set at the Gold Coast in January when Michael Freedman and bloodstock agent Andrew Williams combined to pay $600,000 for his filly out of the stakes-placed mare La Tigeresa (Street Cry); and although it may be a stretch to think that one of his three Easter offerings could scale even headier heights, Mitchell is predicting another successful sale for the entire who signed off his career with victory in the 2018 William Reid Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m).
“We’re very excited about his three lots at the Easter Sale,” he told ANZ News.
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“His colt out of Pierro Moss (Lot 16) is a lovely horse. The mare has produced a couple of lovely horses already, including Invincible Shield who won four in a row for Tony Gollan and is now going very well over in Hong Kong. He’s a very clean-balanced, uncomplicated horse and I think he’ll get even better when he gets to three or even four years old.
“Then we have the filly (Lot 48) out of Rose Of Mulan, who has been a very good producer and this girl is no exception. All the foals out of that mare have been quite big, so again I don’t think she’ll be an early two-year-old but she’s got a lovely temperament and I think she’ll sell well.”
The final offering by Hellbent is Lot 423, a filly out of Melisende, who is a daughter of Yarraman’s star-crossed sire Hinchinbrook, a son of Fastnet Rock, meaning she is born on a very similar cross to the aforementioned Savvy Hallie and Sunrays.
Melisende is a half-sister to stakes-winning I Am Invincible pair I Am Immortal and Godfather.
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Mitchell said: “And then the other Hellbent filly is a real cracker. Hellbent over Hinchinbrook mares throws unbelievable types, Zip Lock was out of a Hinchinbrook mare and this filly is another outstanding individual.”
Despite the significant strides he has taken recently, Hellbent still has enormous ground to make up on his famous father, who has been crowned the country’s champion sire on three occasions.
Given that I Am Invincible is approaching his 22nd birthday and his mare numbers have been reduced in a bid to preserve his longevity, it is not unreasonable to suggest that his very best days may now be behind him. However, even once the team at Yarraman have taken the decision to call time on one of the great careers, his legacy will live on through the feats of his sons now standing at stud.
They of course include Home Affairs, Coolmore’s sensation who is virtually already guaranteed the first-season sire crown thanks in no small part to Guest House’s Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) success.
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That groundbreaking triumph has already assured Guest House’s future career at stud and is yet another feather in I Am Invincible’s cap.
“We’ve been terribly lucky to find a stallion as good as Vinnie and the whole family have really enjoyed the ride he’s taken us on,” said Mitchell, who runs Yarraman in conjunction with his brother Arthur.
“It’s almost more exciting now that he’s a proven sire of sires, because some of the great stallions of the past haven’t been. We have Hellbent and it’s great for Coolmore that Home Affairs has made such a promising start to his career. They put a lot of money into the industry so I’m delighted for them, and hopefully they can find another future stallion by I Am Invincible at the yearling sales.
“He’s still got great libido but we’re obviously keen to manage him given his age. He’s a happy, healthy horse but we know he can’t go on forever. People have asked if we are going to add another stallion to our roster but you never want to rush into these decisions, and we’re very committed to Hellbent and also to Brave Smash, who is starting to make a name for himself.”
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