Jimmy Unwala Approaches His Busiest Era Yet With Avesta Bloodstock

With the COVID pandemic looming in 2020, Unwala took the risky decision to start Avesta Bloodstock despite what appeared to be a global economic downturn. The quality of his brand has prospered through the last two years under his expert guidance and sharp mind. At present, the portfolio has shares in over 250 horses including mares, weanlings, yearlings, racing stock and importantly, the stallions.  Unwala considers himself a horse trader rather than a bloodstock agent, he predominantly buys and sells for himself, and a select group of friends and clients.  

“For me, everything is about ROI when it comes to the buying and selling of horses. I pride myself as a value hunter and that is paramount when it comes to horse sales. It is important to know your niche and I feel I know mine. My mindset when I am purchasing is very simple, I try to buy as far below the market value as I possibly can manage, and that should enable me to lock in a profit for the future. On occasions, I may not even like a particular horse, but I have a price in mind and if I think I can make a profit on that purchase I will try and buy. I also look at safety in numbers as a lot can go wrong with a horse, things that are out of your control. I can do everything with a tried and tested system, but horses are flesh and blood and they can easily sustain an injury. There are many cases of horses failing a scope or developing issues that lead to bad X-rays.

Avesta and their partners also own a share in the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained colt Artorius, the winner of the Group1 Blue Diamond Stakes as a 2YO and who then went on to place in two of Europe’s most prestigious Group 1 sprints at Royal Ascot and Newmarket. “It was probably one of the proudest moments for me. Although we only have a small share in him, we still had a horse in the early years of his career capable of running the world’s best sprinters so close.  He might not have won but he showed the world that he is top-class. Some of the biggest and wealthiest breeders in the world have tried to have success at Royal Ascot but failed. The plan is to go to the Golden Eagle, so we have our fingers firmly crossed!” Avesta also has a share in the “boom” two-year-old Profiteer who was the winner of the Listed Inglis Millennium at that age and who ran well in the Golden Slipper. He is now beginning his career at stud at Newgate Farm.

“Profiteer was one of the early purchases we made for the bloodstock portfolio, and then to see him destroy the field and win by a good margin in the Inglis and then run competitively in the Golden Slipper was an amazing thrill. In Australia over 10,000 foals are born every year and only one of them will be good enough to go off favourite for the Slipper, the race that every breeder wants to win, and we had that horse.”  

Unwala is just 37 but has travelled the world extensively working in Dubai, Ireland, England, and Japan. With his origins in India, Unwala credits his success to his family and in particular his Godfather and his horse-owning mother who was a tremendous influence on his choice of career. He was educated at the University of Kentucky in Equine Science and then in 2010 he graduated from the Godolphin Flying Start program. He then took up a position as a Nominations Consultant with Darley Australia where he stayed for seven years before a three-year tenure at Aquis Farm as their Nominations and Sales Manager. 

“For me everything starts with education, I am not saying you need it to be successful, but I wanted to educate myself in Equine Science. I wanted to go to the mecca of horse racing and breeding in the world. Lexington Kentucky. It was just such a lovely place because it's probably the only part of the world where you find all the horse studs on the fringe of a big city. The vibe of that city is hard to explain; it should be on the bucket list for all horse enthusiasts.”

Unwala believes that the world-renowned Godolphin Flying Start programme was the biggest influence on his career and was the making of him into a horse trader.

“If there was a life-shaping moment for me, especially for my career, it was getting accepted on The Flying Start. It exposed me to all the different facets of the horse industry. When I came to Australia on the course and saw the vibrant industry here, I decided that I wanted to have a career in bloodstock trading. Before I joined the course, I wanted to be a trainer, but I quickly realized that waking up at four in the morning for the rest of my life, wasn't my cup of tea! I saw the bloodstock side of the business very closely when I did my placement with William Inglis and Sons in Sydney and thought bloodstock was much better suited to my personality. I think for HH Sheikh Mohammed to develop such a unique and prestigious internship is brilliant. He is a visionary, and he has changed Dubai from a desert into the metropolis that it is today. It's a very noble gesture from a wealthy man, who doesn't have to do it, but he genuinely does it because he has pure love for horses and the racing game.”

Unwala believes that patience and resilience is required when it comes to choosing horses for The Everest. The world’s richest turf horse race.  “Nature Strip is the outright favourite, and he deserves to be so. There are not many horses that can probably beat him fair and square on the day. Yes, things can go wrong, and he can have an off day, but of those currently committed to the slots, it is tough to see any of them beating him. Given the circumstances of the race at present, and this is a hypothetical situation, if I were selecting then I would not rush into picking a runner for the Everest at the moment. I believe a sharp three-year-old will show his or her hand in the next two or three weeks. I think that a horse on an upward trajectory is probably the best chance of taking on and beating the principals. “The Sydney tracks also have been really, really wet for the last six months, so if they were to dry out significantly, the form may change dramatically. The Everest has taken racing by storm. It is a race that everyone now wants to win, it has prestige, and would be one of the top races to have on your CV, especially for a colt. Of course, geldings have won four of the five running so far as most colts retire to stud with the race falling during the breeding season. I know it is not a Group One race on paper, but no one can deny that it's probably the best race for sprinters in Australia.”

Unwala considers that for young people wanting to get into the industry, there is no country like Australia, where it is possible for someone from any background to be successful. His initial broodmare purchase of only AUD$300 from the 2013 Scone Thoroughbred Sale has today built him a portfolio that is the envy of many. 

“Australia is one place where I believe it doesn’t matter if you were born rich; if you had been born into the game or if you had existing connections with trainers or breeders, you could still succeed if you have the talent and desire and you are willing to put in the long hours. The Australian Racing industry will embrace you and give you a fair go, I am so glad that I decided to work in this fabulous industry which has become my family away from my real family. Given the chance to do the same again I would change nothing. I started trading horses from a cheap purchase in 2013 and I have not looked back since. It is very important to never get too far ahead of yourself and to always be humble in life – something my parents have always taught me.”