Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
When Hard Kick powered clear in the Listed Talindert Stakes over 1100 metres at Flemington on Saturday, it was more than an eye-catching juvenile performance. It was validation.
For the connections who cheered him home and the punters who followed the jump-out hype, it was a result to savour. For Unwala, the man who sourced the gelding as a $30,000 yearling and turned him into a $140,000 Inglis Ready 2 Race graduate from which Lindsay Park picked up the story, it was vindication of both vision and method.
Through Avesta Bloodstock, Unwala operates with a clear brief - buy smart, add value, and trade decisively. Hard Kick’s rise from the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale to Flemington stakes winner on debut is precisely the type of outcome that fuels that model.
TTR caught up with Unwala to reflect on the win, his approach to trading bloodstock and the evolving breeze-up market.
A bloodstock trader - not an agent
Unwala has packed a lifetime of experience into a career for a man who is yet to hit 40 years of age. Born in Indore, India, and educated in equine science at the University of Kentucky, he graduated from the famous Godolphin Flying Start in 2010.
From there it was into nominations at Darley Australia, followed by three years as head of nominations at Aquis Farm, with these two roles filling in a decade of involvement and learning - grounding that ultimately led to the establishment of Avesta Bloodstock.
But Unwala is quick to define what he is, and what he isn’t.
“I’d call myself a bloodstock trader” he said.
“I own most of my stock at some level myself, and of course I have a few good investors with me, but basically we’re trying to trade horses, to buy low and sell high and find a niche in the market.
“I do all sorts - buy yearlings, weanlings, broodmares, put horses through ready-to-run sales, buy horses of any age. Basically I'm a bloodstock trader.
“I do all sorts - buy yearlings, weanlings, broodmares, put horses through ready-to-run sales, buy horses of any age. Basically I'm a bloodstock trader.” - Jimmy Unwala
“In simple terms my business model is to buy a horse for x value, sell a horse for y value, and hope for profit between x and y.”
Jimmy Unwala | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
For Unwala, turnover is key.
“Turnover is everything in my game, and being a seller of stock once the broodmare and weanling sales stop in June — there is no cheque for me right until January, so the Ready-To-Run Sales have become more important.
“I also enjoy sourcing horses for preparation, finding a horse a bit under the radar, it can be a good source of cash flow and it helps balance that quiet time from July through to the new year.
“I also enjoy sourcing horses for preparation, finding a horse a bit under the radar.” - Jimmy Unwala
“It’s important I do it, but I love it, I love striving for a diamond in the rough.”
Talindert glory on debut for Hard Kick
Purchased by Lindsay Park Racing for $140,000 from the Hannover Lodge draft at the Inglis Ready 2 Race Sale, the All Too Hard gelding justified every dollar with a brilliant debut victory in the Listed Talindert Stakes.
Unbeaten in three jump-outs, Hard Kick jumped cleanly, rolled to the front and travelled like the winner throughout before putting them away untouched.
Hard Kick winning the Listed Talindert Stakes on Saturday | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
For Unwala, the performance rated among the best juvenile displays of the season.
“I think it's been a year where the 2-year-olds have been a bit weak, and if not, very even. There has been no defining 2-year-old of the year, and watching Hard Kick on Saturday, I thought that performance was as good as I've seen this year. He was dominant, he did everything right and won with plenty in hand.”
“Watching Hard Kick on Saturday, I thought that performance was as good as I've seen this year.” - Jimmy Unwala
The Hannover Lodge preparation had always given him confidence that he may develop into a proper horse.
“When he did his breeze up at Hannover, Hinnerk (Hüeppe) who runs Hannover kept saying to me this horse (Hard Kick) is very competitive, while you don’t get the chance to really let them be competitive during a ready-to-run preparation and you don’t get a chance in the breeze up, it was always a positive sign in my mind.”
Post-race, JD Hayes flagged the possibility of a backup into the Blue Diamond Stakes.
JD Hayes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He was bought in Sydney at Inglis Ready 2 Race and Dad was actually representing the company there, and he purchased him for connections. What a thrill!,” Hayes said.
“He's been very well educated at home and we thought he was pretty good and he won with authority there. I'm not sure if he's as good as Miss Finland, but he looked pretty good there.
“He's (Hard Kick) been very well educated at home and we thought he was pretty good and he won with authority there.” - JD Hayes
“We'll keep the option open in a week's time (Blue Diamond), see how he pulls up, because he did win with his head on his chest there. There are plenty of options going ahead with this horse. It's very exciting.”
From Adelaide bargain to Flemington stakes winner
Unwala secured Hard Kick for $30,000 from Middlebrook Valley Lodge at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, with a clear breeze-up target in mind and one by a proven sire.
“Fashion is very important in the bloodstock game, sometimes wrongly, sometimes rightly, but for my target of finding a horse to put through the breeze-up sales, I wanted a proven stallion.
Hard Kick as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“All Too Hard had previously done very well in Hong Kong and domestically so I liked that element and he stood out. He was solid, he looked like he would run through a brickwall for you and nothing fazed him, day after day that I inspected him, he was solid and unfazed.”
“He (Hard Kick as a yearling) was solid... day after day that I inspected him, he was solid and unfazed.” - Jimmy Unwala
Trust in the Hannover Lodge system also played a key role.
“The relationship that I have with the Hannover team is a complete trust model, they trust me in terms of what I’m going to send them and I trust them in the preparation stage.
“But one thing that they don't like compromising on is that they need to be good in the head, they need to want to be a race horses if they are going to breeze well. This horse had loads of compusure and in the head, he just wanted to be a racehorse.”
A changing breeze-up landscape
Unwala believes the ready-to-run market has evolved dramatically over the past 15 years.
“The way that the breeze up sales are run now in Australia and even the way they are targeted with horses has changed drastically in the 15 or 16 years that I have been in Australia,” he said.
“It used to be looked at as a way of selling horses that you couldn’t sell at a yearling sale, it was the automatic next step was to put them in a ready-to-run sale.
“It used to be looked at as a way of selling horses that you couldn’t sell at a yearling sale, it was the automatic next step was to put them in a ready-to-run sale.” - Jimmy Unwala
“That has now changed and people are targeting the ready-to-run sales to sell, the quality has changed, the fascination on times has shifted also and there is just as much focus on motion, athleticism and stride.”
He also cautions against relying too heavily on one buying bench.
“Peoples mindsets need to change, you can’t just think that the Asian market will buy everything at these sales, predominantly yes they are a strong segment of the buyers and will continue to be so, but sellers do need to think of an exit strategy or it can be a big risk.
“Peoples mindsets need to change, you can’t just think that the Asian market will buy everything at these sales.” - Jimmy Unwala
“You need a wide base market, but with these horses I have faith in the product that I have bought, and would be just as happy to trade privately or race them, it is important to really like what you are buying and have belief in them.”
The need to be forgiving
Working across all sectors of the market has shaped Unwala’s philosophy, particularly around pedigree assessment.
“I think breeders and buyers should be forgiving on some fronts, especially when talking about what horses are by, you should or need to like what is in front of you at times, and take them for what they are, while still not forgetting the importance of pedigrees as a factor or a tool.
“Sometimes being forgiving can be good for you in the long run and even more so when looking at horses for ready-to-run sales.” - Jimmy Unwala
“Sometimes being forgiving can be good for you in the long run and even more so when looking at horses for ready-to-run sales, with Hard Kick the family wasn’t great but I loved the individual.
Hard Kick at the Inglis Ready 2 Race Sale | Image courtesy of Inglis
“Sometimes the pedigree doesn't tell the full story, maybe the mares progeny had talent but got an injury, maybe they got sick, there can be many other reasons, so even more need to think that if you like what is in front of you, trust yourself.”
Success is everything
For a trader, there is no room for sentiment.
“I take great satisfaction in any horses that I have traded going well on the track. It is required, if something I sell wins or has success, it means buyers come back if they go well.
“They get confidence in my name, the product I am bringing to market and hopefully it brings repeat business, success really is everything.
“They get confidence in my name, the product I am bringing to market and hopefully it brings repeat business, success really is everything.” - Jimmy Unwala
“It is the name of the game, hopefully more success on the track just adds to confidence levels in any horses that are offered for trade and more business and more profit between x and y.”
Hard Kick’s Talindert triumph may belong to Lindsay Park in the record books, but for Jimmy Unwala it stands as the purest advertisement for the Avesta model - disciplined buying, the changing breeze-up market, trusted preparation and the courage to back your judgement.
