News

Hellbent Bids To Get Back On Track

13th Jan 2016

Breeding and Racing - Thursday, 14th January 2016

Meanwhile, highly regarded Goulburn colt colt Hellbent (I Am Invincible-Volkaspray, by Volksraad) will bid to get his career back on track when he lines up in the Inglis Dash (1100m) at Flemington on Saturday.

After showing abundant natural talent in winning his first two starts, the son of I Am Invincible was placed in the Listed Brian Crowley Stakes in Sydney before venturing south to Melbourne for the Gr1 Coolmore Stud Stakes in October where he finished eighth (beaten 7 lengths) behind the Chris Waller-trained Japonisme.

He then resumed in the Inglis Sprint at Randwick on 12 December where he was slightly disappointing going down by a 0.25-length.

The Inglis Dash wasn't originally on Hellbent's radar, but trainer Kurt Goldman said the $250,000 prize money proved an irresistible lure.

"I don't think we would have travelled all this way for a benchmark Saturday race. But with that prize money on offer it's pretty hard to turn your nose up at a restricted race, especially at the weights where he obviously gets in quite well," Goldman said.

"He didn't go as well as we thought he would first-up in Sydney so we gave him a little break in the paddock and took him back to the trials at Rosehill."

He added: "It wasn't the plan to come to this race but with the timing it really suited him."

Goldman has previously stated that Hellbent may head to the Queensland winter carnival, with the Gr1 Stradbroke Handicap a possible target.

"We've always had a good opinion of him, last start was disappointing but hopefully we can put that behind us and go on from here," he said.

"I'm never one to be overly confident but I know it's going to take a pretty smart horse to beat him on his day.