Cover image courtesy of Yarraman Park
Arthur and Harry Mitchell of Yarraman Park have a proven track record in crafting the careers of successful stallions. They solidified the reputation of the current Champion Australian sire, I Am Invincible, and expanded their roster six years ago to include his Group 1-winning son, Hellbent. With three of Hellbent's crops now making their mark on the racetrack, he is emulating the success of his formidable sire, with indications that the best is still to come.
Hellbent has surpassed the performance of his sire, I Am Invincible, in the general sires rankings at the same stage in his career.
Hellbent is represented by nine per cent juvenile stakes performers to runners.
The average yearling price of a Hellbent sired stakes winner is just $124,000.
Hellbent’s average earnings per starter this season is comparable with leading sires Zoustar and Snitzel.
Hellbent is making significant strides in the Australian stallion rankings, having climbed to 11th in this year's sire premiership. This season has been particularly notable for him, highlighted by Magic Time, who secured her second elite victory over the weekend in the G1 All Aged S. Overall, Hellbent has sired four stakes winners this season, demonstrating his consistency with stakes performers emerging from every crop this year.
| 21/22 (247) | 41 | 11 | 3 | 0 | $751,731 |
| 22/23 (42) | 124 | 55 | 8 | 2 | $5,404,290 |
| 23/24 (11) | 168 | 70 | 8 | 4 | $8,697,092 |
Table: Hellbent’s performance by season
Hellbent, an elite sprinter in his own right, secured his first top-tier victory at the age of five in the G1 William Reid S. Echoing their sire’s late blooming trait, his initial crop is showing a promising upward trend with age. From his 2019 foal crop, seven stakes performers have emerged, headlined by Magic Time, along with dual stakes winner Benedetta and Group 2 victor Hell Hath No Fury, all conceived off a modest service fee of $27,500 (inc GST).
While Hellbent's offspring seem to flourish with maturity, his impact is not limited to older horses. He has also made a significant mark with younger stock, producing nine individual juvenile stakes performers to date. This group includes this year’s Restricted Listed Inglis Millennium winner, Fully Lit, and last year's G2 Percy Sykes S. winner, Kristilli.
| First | 247 | 117 |
| Second | 42 | 30 |
| Third | 11 | 21 |
Table: Hellbent and I Am Invincible’s general sires rankings at the same stages of their career
Although there's still a considerable journey ahead, Hellbent is showing promising signs for the future by outperforming his champion sire, I Am Invincible, at a comparable stage in their careers in terms of general sire rankings. I Am Invincible enjoyed a strong start to his stud career with three Australian first-crop stakes winners. However, Hellbent is quickly catching up and seems to be narrowing the performance gap in the sire rankings. At the same stage in his third-season, I Am Invincible was ranked 21st on the general sires rankings, while Hellbent is ranked 11th.
Among his peers who entered stud in the same year, Hellbent is also doing well; he is ahead of Russian Revolution, the champion first and second-season sire who is currently 12 points behind in 23rd place in this season's general sire rankings, while Almanzor ranks in 53rd place on the general sire rankings.
| I Am Invincible | 342 | $28,239,782 | $82,572 | $302,500 |
| Zoustar | 336 | $18,582,338 | $55,305 | $220,000 |
| So You Think | 270 | $18,505,698 | $68,540 | $99,000 |
| Pride of Dubai | 193 | $18,021,746 | $93,377 | $27,500 |
| Written Tycoon | 282 | $13,046,719 | $46,265 | FOA |
| Snitzel | 241 | $12,817,913 | $53,186 | $247,000 |
| Savabeel | 175 | $12,189,315 | $69,653 | $100,000 |
| Dundeel | 257 | $12,094,553 | $47,061 | $82,500 |
| Teofilo | 34 | $9,791,735 | $287,992 | - |
| Capitalist | 276 | $9,374,862 | $33,967 | $77,000 |
| Hellbent | 168 | $8,697,092 | $51,768 | $38,500 |
Table: Leading Australia General Sires 2023/24 season
Hellbent is making a strong impression in comparison to other top Australian sires this season. Even with fewer starters than other leading stallions, Hellbent has an impressive average earnings per starter of nearly $52,000. This performance surpasses that of Written Tycoon ($46,000), Dundeel (NZ) ($47,000), and Capitalist ($34,000), and is comparable to Zoustar ($55,000) and Snitzel ($53,186). Although standout offspring can skew average earnings, Hellbent is holding his own against some of Australia’s premier sires, who attract service fees up to eight times greater than his.
| Magic Time | Milburn Creek | 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale | Passed In R $150,000 | |
| Hell Hath No Fury | Yarraman Park | 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale | $160,000 | Brae Sokolski |
| Benedetta | Mill Park Stud | 2021 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale | $75,000 | Eales Racing Syndications |
| Fully Lit | Glenlogan Park | 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale | $60,000 | Redfox Racing |
| Kristilli | Yarraman Park | 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale | $200,000 | Annabel Neasham Racing / B Mcguire |
Table: Hellbent’s stakes winning progeny by sale
The average purchase price for a Hellbent yearling in the 2024 sales circuit was a modest $110,000. Stakes winners sired by Hellbent have also been reasonably priced, averaging $124,000 with no individual sale exceeding $200,000. Yarraman Park, home to Hellbent, accounted for two of these stakes winners, with the others originating from Mill Park Stud, Glenlogan Park and Milburn Creek (passed in).
Looking ahead, the future appears bright for Hellbent as he continues to follow in his sire’s footsteps as a source of genuine racetrack talent. With his largest foal crop having arrived last season, it's almost certain that his upward trajectory will continue into the years to come.
