Cover image Courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Abrahams went to the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in 2017 searching for a broodmare to bring back to Australia for he and his partners in Dalanna Bloodstock. He settled on a stakes-placed daughter of Arch (USA), named Forest Circle (USA), paying US$105,000 (AU$148,000).
Hell I Am | Image courtesy of Champion Thoroughbreds
Hell I Am is the first Australian foal of Forest Circle and Abrahams is hoping he can help realise the dream he had when making the trip to Kentucky four years ago.
"I had a syndicate of guys who wanted to breed a mare. I enlisted some mates in America and flew up there and found this mare and brought her down here with the requirement of finding a precocious family," Abrahams told TDN AusNZ.
"We are trying to mix her with Australian speed and see if we can get something like what this horse could be. The project is coming together, and we will see how that works out."
Jason Abrahams and John O'Shea | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
The mixture of Australian 'colonial' speed with American bloodlines has become a successful formula for Australian breeders of late, as backed up by recent Group 1 winners such as Wild Ruler (Snitzel), Forbidden Love (All Too Hard) and Lunar Fox (Foxwedge).
For Abrahams and his partners, the strategy is quite simple and one they hope can deliver them some good results.
"I like American speed mares. I think their style of racing lends itself to injecting a bit of precocity and speed into our bloodlines," he said.
"I like American speed mares. I think their style of racing lends itself to injecting a bit of precocity and speed into our bloodlines." - Jason Abrahams
"They punch above their weight down here and I think there's numerous examples of those types of pedigrees working down here.
"In the United States, they have a different style of running. They get out there and go as hard as they can and it's survival of the fittest, and we can cross that back with our stallions.
"The American speed mares can help you get a precocious 2-year-old for sure."
Having produced the Hellbent colt, Forest Circle has since produced fillies by Astern and Magna Grecia (Ire).
Champion acquisition
It was little surprise given his connection with the horse that it was Abrahams' Champion Thoroughbreds that secured Hell I Am when he was offered through the Edinglassie Thoroughbreds draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
While not renowned for sourcing too many 'early 2-year-old' types, O'Shea and Abrahams saw this colt as an excellent opportunity to hopefully get a runner in the 2022 $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic, paying $150,000 for him.
"We don’t normally focus on early 2-year-olds, mainly because they are usually a bit expensive to buy, the obvious ones." he said.
"We don’t normally focus on early 2-year-olds, mainly because they are usually a bit expensive to buy, the obvious ones." - Jason Abrahams
"Physically, he's an early 2-year-old. He's a ready-made horse who has grown to about where he needs to be. He has always done everything that has been asked of him without much difficulty.
"From that perspective, we bought him to be an early 2-year-old and we are happy to get him to a race pre-Christmas and depending on how he goes tomorrow, will tell us whether we can head him up north."
Hell I Am as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Market expectation
Hell I Am is certainly well-found in the betting markets for his debut and is currently around $4 on the strength of his recent trial win at Canterbury.
"I think the market has got him (Hell I Am) a little shorter than what we thought he would be. He trialled well enough but you just never know with these first starters," Abrahams said.
"I think the market has got him (Hell I Am) a little shorter than what we thought he would be. He trialled well enough but you just never know with these first starters." - Jason Abrahams
"I think we are comfortable enough to think he's a chance. You just never know until you step them out and get them rolling and see what they have got."
That trial win was by a clear margin over $1.8 million yearling Man In The Mirror (Not A Single Doubt), who came out and won a trial on Tuesday, backing up the strength of the November 30 hitout.
Hell I Am and Man In The Mirror trialling | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
One of three 2-year-olds by Yarraman Park's Hellbent in the race, Hell I Am tackles recent Canberra winner Command Approved (Spirit Of Boom) as well as a mixture of raced and unraced rivals.
"It’s hard to line up these horses. There are so many first starters and the ones that have had a race have a bit more experience behind them," Abrahams said.
"The speed should be on and there are plenty of horses drawn wide that will want to roll forward. We’ve drawn nicely in six, so it will come down to where he finds himself in the run. He's got good race speed, so I don’t think he’ll be too far away.
"It will come down to where he finds himself in the run. He's got good race speed, so I don’t think he’ll be too far away." - Jason Abrahams
"He has shown enough to have us excited to go there, but we will know what he has got under the bonnet when he races."
The class of 2022
Abrahams has been busy over the past week inspecting the next crop of yearlings he is aiming to bid on at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January. He is impressed by the quality on offer but thinks it will be a tough market for buyers.
"We are feeling our way through. I went up to the Hunter Valley for a couple of days last week to knock over a few inspections. We will get a few more knocked over before the New Year," he said.
Jason Abrahams and John O'Shea | Image courtesy of Champion Thoroughbreds
"I'll be up there nice and early to go through them, seeing there are so many to see. I expect this year's Sale to be pretty hot.
"We will be finding something to focus on, and we always like to come away with one or two from Magics because it’s such a great concept and a raceday to aim for each year."
