Fresh off the success of Grahame Begg-trained Magic Time in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. on Saturday, Hellbent is building himself a strong platform for the upcoming sales season. The Thoroughbred Report spoke to General Manager of Yarraman Park Stud, Matthew Scown, about their exciting stallion.

With heritage dating back over a century, Yarraman Park Stud has existed as a reliable pillar of the Australian racing industry. Currently home to three stallions, General Manager Matthew Scown has plenty to be excited about, including a breakthrough Group 1 victory as a producer for Hellbent.

Magical mare leaves Yarraman delighted

Not many with even a passing interest in Australian racing would have missed the slashing performance of Magic Time (Hellbent) on Saturday in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. at Caulfield. Forced to do it the hard way from the inhospitable barrier 13, the 4-year-old mare showed her tenacity matches her ability, winning in impressive fashion for top jockey Michael Dee.

Among those watching on, albeit with a few more nerves than most, was Matthew Scown, keeping a close eye on a race that could elevate Yarraman’s stallion Hellbent to the next level.

“We watched the race at Harry’s (Mitchell, Director of Yarraman Park) place, and it was really exciting,” Scown explained. “We were obviously really nervous going into it drawing the wide alley at Caulfield but she showed she was superior.

“You watch her come around the bend, she’s about five-wide. She showed her explosive turn of foot, like her father, and got home to win the Group 1 so we are elated, it’s a huge achievement and it backs up what we were saying earlier.

“She (Magic Time) showed her explosive turn of foot, like her father, and got home to win the Group 1 so we are elated, it’s a huge achievement and it backs up what we were saying earlier.” – Matt Scown

“Hellbent had one start and won really well as a 2-year-old at the end of his 2-year-old year but just continued to get better as he got older, and now his progeny are doing much the same.

“It’s nice to have that Group 1 win for Magic Time in such a high-quality sprint race, we’re over the moon.”

As Scown asserted, Hellbent took time to reach the top of the racing mountain, even with a win on debut as a 2-year-old under champion rider Hugh Bowman. He won again when re-appearing as a 3-year-old but would only win once more until three kilogram-claiming apprentice Ben Allen steered him to victory in his first start as a 4-year-old.

Hellbent | Standing at Yarraman Park

He came within a whisker of Group 1 success at four, narrowly being denied by Silent Sedition (War Chant {USA}) in the G1 William Reid S. in March 2017. He would have to wait another 11 months for a chance at another Group 1, running third in the G1 Oakleigh Plate before claiming glory in the G1 William Reid S. of 2017, a year removed from his narrow defeat.

Much like his career on the racetrack, development has been key for Hellbent. Now a third-season sire, he leads his class for earnings this season, with his progeny collecting just over $2.6 million in prizemoney.

As for Magic Time, she will always have the distinction of being her sire’s first Group 1 win, a product of a first crop that also contains Group 3-winning mare Benedetta. Proving herself to be in the upper echelon of mares currently racing, her CV contains five wins, four of which carry black type, spread across New South Wales and Victoria.

Support the key to early success of emerging stallions

Hellbent may not yet be at the level of his sire, and fellow Yarraman resident I Am Invincible, but the support for him is growing within the industry, Scown believes.

“It shows with the support we’re getting from both the shareholder group as well as the outside mares. Hellbent is a syndicate stallion and we are fortunate enough to have some great shareholders in him who supported him in the early days and are continuing to support him with some really top-quality mares.

“It was just proven with John Muir’s awesome Group 1 winner on Saturday (Magic Time).”

Yarraman aren’t just limited to two stallions, with their third, Brave Smash (Jpn) also garnering interest.

“The same could be said for Brave Smash, our new horse, (he has) a smaller shareholder group, but a really good group that is supporting the horse with top-class mares and that’s a big part of getting your stallion on the board.

“Brave Smash had a sensational Saturday, he had Brave Mead place in a Group race down in Melbourne and Kimochi place again in the Group 1 down at Caulfield as well.

“It goes to show with these young stallions that we’re standing, they can get those elite runners, and we’ll continue to support them all the way through and give them our gun mares,” Scown said of their second-season sire.

“It goes to show with these young stallions that we’re standing, they can get those elite runners, and we’ll continue to support them all the way through and give them our gun mares.” – Matt Scown

Successful season for Hellbent

Building the stallion up with strong internal and shareholder support had done the trick for turning heads towards Hellbent, who according to Scown had a busy 2023.

“This season was really positive, before the Magic Millions Broodmare Sale (in May), we actually closed his book, he was fully booked out at $38,500 (inc GST).

“Everyone outside the syndicate thought that was a very fair price, they really like his stock, they’ve sold extremely well, especially off the $22,000 (inc GST) he was standing for in the previous couple of years.

“This season was really positive, before the Magic Millions Broodmare Sale (in May), we actually closed his (Hellbent’s) book, he was fully booked out at $38,500 (inc GST).” – Matt Scown

“It was great to see that off that service fee ($22,000) he was maximising his service fee, lots going for $400,000 last year, so it’s a big return on investment. All the outside breeders to Hellbent thought he was at a very fair price this year, so he booked out extremely quickly.”

Scown is confident in the qualities Yarraman’s stallion is able to pass down, telling The Thoroughbred Report, “I think the main thing which everyone has noticed through his progeny on the track, is that they are very honest.

“They’re very honest, very sound, they love to hit the line, you won’t see one fade out into the distance, they are always trying.

“They’re (Hellbents) very honest, very sound, they love to hit the line, you won’t see one fade out into the distance, they are always trying.” -Matt Scown

“You could see that on Saturday when Magic Time won the Group 1, nothing was in her favour, including the barrier draw, but she was able to pick herself up and win a top-class million-dollar sprint.

“Their soundness and longevity, and their resilience to rate on and (the fact they) make sure they’re always honest are the big positives with watching his progeny race.”

Plenty of offerings to go through the ring

Across the coming months, Hellbent will be well-represented across both Australia and New Zealand, with progeny going through the ring across the major sales.

Buyers can get their hands on one as soon as this week, with the New Zealand Bloodstock (NZB) Ready to Run catalogue thrice featuring his name.

He first appears at Lot 146, a gelding out of prolific winner My Dear Friend (General Nediym), having greeted the judge first on 11 occasions. She has produced winning gelding Testifier (Star Witness) and is related to G1 Greyville Premier’s Champion S. winner Harry’s Son (Haradasun), who was crowned champion South African 2-year-old in 2013/14. This gelding is being offered by Kilgravin Lodge.

Ohukia Lodge brings Hellbent representation via Lot 304, an August foal out of Exceed and Excel mare We Have Lift Off. The page of this colt is deep, he is related to Argentia (Frankel {GB}), dual G1 Hawke’s Bay Kelt Capital S. winner Princess Coup (Encosta De Lago) and G2 Bill Stutt S. winner Sovereign Nation (Encosta De Lago).

The final Hellbent on offer this week is Lot 308, a colt out of winning-mare Witless (Stratum). Twice a winner over sprinting trips, she is a half-sister to Fast Talker (Fastnet Rock), who produced Group 1 winner Zougotcha (Zoustar) and The Actuary (Sebring), who won the Listed Phoenix S. in Queensland. To date, she has produced two winners, headlined by Explosive Quality (Shooting To Win). Lot 308 is being offered by Leanach Lodge.

Scown is still looking further ahead, with a sense of excitement evident when discussing Hellbent’s offerings at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

“I’ve gone through the Gold Coast Magic Millions sale,” Scown explained, “There’s a really nice line of horses, our draft has some top quality Hellbent progeny going to the sale, including a full brother to Kristilli, who won the G2 Percy Sykes.

“… our (Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale) draft has some top quality Hellbent progeny going to the sale, including a full brother to Kristilli, who won the G2 Percy Sykes.” – Matt Scown

“He’s a really quality horse, we are really excited. We’re also looking forward to getting up to the Gold Coast and seeing what the other farms have on offer in terms of their Hellbent progeny. He has a really nice lineup of horses we thought, on paper.”

Click here to view Hellbent’s yearlings on offer at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale

Copy: Jesse Dart, The Thoroughbred Report Aus NZ