Progressive filly Wollombi became the ninth stakes-winner for her scintillating young sire Extreme Choice when winning the Group III VRC The Vanity last Saturday and her ownership group includes Jimmy Unwala of Avesta Bloodstock.
With four wins and five placings from 11 starts, Wollombi has already banked over $260,000 in prizemoney, but the worth of her first Black Type win last weekend is far more valuable than the cash she has collected.
Avesta has a growing portfolio of bloodstock investments taking in breeding stock, stallion shares and racehorses with the decision to buy into Wollombi not one that really fit with Jimmy Unwala’s established business model.
“I generally takes share in colts as I’m trying to get stallion prospects and have those shares in my portfolio to use for our band of mares if they perform well and end up at stud like Profiteer last year and Artorious most likely this year,” Unwala explained.
“Taking shares in colts works perfectly for this exercise, but when it comes to fillies, I generally buy them outright as I am actually looking for a broodmare prospect eventually and you need controlling interest of those to make it work.”
Wollombi was offered by Kingstar Farm at Magic Millions and was knocked down to Snowden Racing for $200,000, but her pedigree proved irresistible to Unwala.
“In the case of Wollombi, I made the exception and took a small share in her,” he said.
“When I saw her pedigree in the catalogue, I was instantly attracted to it - she had double Rory's Jester, Snippets and Danehill in the first four generations. When I looked at her physically, I just knew I wanted to be involved in her so approached the Snowden’s to take a share.
“I am sure it would have been a good split of opinion amongst the buying bench on the mating pattern but as the cliche goes - winners are grinners.
“Sometimes I keep a share in a filly I have bred and sold, as a good will gesture for the buyer, but Wollombi was the only filly I actually took a share in that year, and rest is history.”
He is one of only two colts by Extreme Choice in the sale and is the third foal of well related import Fadetta (USA), who was a savvy purchase for Avesta Bloodstock, snapped up for $150,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
“I bought Fadetta in foal to Extreme Choice a few years ago, and all going well it will be the first Easter yearling to sell for Avesta. Fadetta is out of a G1 winner and is also half-sister to a G1 winner, so he has a serious colt’s pedigree,” Unwala enthused.
“Her first foal by Divine Prophet has won three on the trot, and her second foal (a 2YO by Menari) sold for $350,000 at the Magic Millions last year and is in training with Price and Kent Jr, who have a good opinion about him.
“This colt has been raised and grazed at Newgate Farm, and they will be consigning him on our behalf, and we all know how good Henry's systems are and how many black-type performers have come from that property.”
Seeking out value at the broodmare sales is a large part of the Avesta business, laying the foundations for future success and it requires a lot of groundwork, man hours and much research.
“Sometimes people may just see you rock up at the sales and put your hand up to buy horses, but not many would realize what goes on behind the scenes,” Unwala revealed.
“I try and see as many yearlings and weanlings as I can, not just at the sales, but also when I visit farms and breeders as it gives me a great insight into what different families produce and how to breed my own stock. The more e you see the more you learn, and your instincts become stronger.”
As a commercial breeder, Unwala has to produce a product fit for the sale ring.
“It is very important to understand what the market wants - as it can be completely different to what you believe in - and you need to find a good balance to make it work commercially,” he said.
“We have our commercial mares and I also have a small band of mares that I breed purely on genetics, and for those mares the stallion I am using can be a non-commercial $5,000 entity, but if I believe in the mating and what my system tells me it is the right fit for that mares family, then so be it. This is my way of hopefully making a $20,000 mare into a $2 Million mare someday by making her progeny do the talking or in this case running!”
Avesta Bloodstock mare purchases include several that have had important pedigree updates heading towards the Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper.
Talented I Am Invincible filly Blanc de Blanc was a game second to Learning to Fly in the $2million Ingis Millennium and is entered for the Group II ATC Sweet Embrace Stakes this Saturday as a stepping stone towards the Golden Slipper.
Her dam Another Sunday was purchased last year at the Inglis Broodmare Sale for $50,000 in foal to Hellbent and at the same sale Rolling Cloud (in foal to Brazen Beau) was acquired for $25,000 in partnership with Rathmore Bloodstock and she’s now a half-sister to stakes-winner Little Brose, who heads to the Blue Diamond as a leading fancy.
Colosimo is shaping as another good investment, snaffled for $20,000 at the 2021 Inglis Broodmare Sale and now the dam of this season’s promising stakes-placed two year-old Gangitano trained by Amy and Ash Yargi.
Unwala has developed a computerized breeding system for his mares that he credits for helping identify and polish diamonds in the rough.
“I am not saying it can rival what's in the market currently, but it works for me - and that's why I have had very good success from older and exposed mares that I have bought for little or no money at all,” Unwala concludes.
“For a portfolio like mine which is just in its nascent stage, to have purchased these sort of mares for not much cash, and to have horses out of them hopefully heading to the Slipper and Blue Diamond, I cannot ask for much more, I just keep my head down and continue to do what I love.”
