Written by Rowe on a Monday, The Straight on 9 June 2025
Comparing stallions at the same point of their careers is often revealing and this column believes consistency from a sire is an underrated trait when it comes to assessing their progeny’s feats.
Naturally, the ability to produce stakes winners is imperative, longer term, but so too should be the number of good racehorses.
They might not be the stallion prospects or high-priced fillies off the track, but ones who have the talent to pay their way and get their owners winning photos on the wall.
The late Not A Single Doubt was always a stallion this writer admired for his consistency, and Hellbent is leaving a similar impression.
On Saturday, Hellbent’s two-year-old filly Sunrays, trained by Kelly Schweida, made it two Listed wins in succession in Brisbane for owner-breeder Peter Moran, no stranger to a decent horse. He also raced Staging, Duporth, Tickets and Excites in years gone by.
Without wanting to venture into Run The Numbers territory, at the same stage of their stud careers, Not A Single Doubt had sired nine stakes winners (four at Group 3 level and five Listed winners) and had a winners-to-runners ratio of 61 per cent.
Hellbent is the sire of seven stakes winners – including Group 1 winners Magic Time and Benedetta – and has a winners-to-runners percentage of 66 per cent.
Not A Single Doubt closed out his career with 84 stakes winners, 16 of them being Group 1 winners, including young sires Farnan, Stronger and the influential Extreme Choice.
🔥 HELLBENT 2YO STAKES WIN 🔥
She’s tough and she’s good! SUNRAYS (2f) made it back-to-back Stakes wins taking the Listed Show A Heart @EagleFarmRacing 💪 6 starts, 5 wins including two Stakes wins & second in a G3.. awesome for Kelly Schweida and owner-breeder Peter Moran! pic.twitter.com/l4WVVqPQkm
— Yarraman Park Stud (@yarramanpark) June 7, 2025