Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Friday August 13

It did not take long for Eddie Hirsch to learn he had made a rare bargain with the purchase of the stakes-winning Lonhro mare Obsequious from the Godolphin draft offered at the 2020 Inglis July (Early) Online Sale.

Consigned in foal to Frosted (USA), Obsequious found a new home when Hirsch Bloodstock had the final say at $27,500.

The dam of three winners from as many to race, Obsequious had a solid if uninspiring record at stud.

Godolphin gives transparent assessments of the stock it sells. So it was informative to note the comments by the Racing and Bloodstock Manager, Jason Walsh, on Obsequious' yearling colt by Frosted (USA), made more poignant considering the daughter of Lonhro was carrying a full sibling.

Just over three months after the purchase of Obsequious, Hirsch's $27,500 purchase was the dam of the Listed VRC Maribyrnong Trial Stakes winner Ingratiating.

The James Cummings-trained colt danced every dance at two. He followed his debut win with seconds in the Group III Maribyrnong Plate and Group III Chairman's Stakes before winning the Listed Talindert Stakes at Flemington.

Ingratiating (Pat Scala/Racing Photos)

After splitting Artorius and Anamoe in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield, it was off to Sydney.

For the first time, he missed the place when a troubled fifth, beaten just over a length, in the Group III Pago Pago Stakes at Rosehill.

A fortnight later, Ingratiating gave his all when third behind Stay Inside and Anamoe in the Golden Slipper.

So, at the season's end, Ingratiating owned a record of two wins, three seconds and one third from seven starts with earnings of $851,000.

After being kept up to the mark with two barrier trials, Ingratiating makes his three-year-old debut in a fascinating renewal of the Group III Vain Stakes at Flemington.

He is one of three runners among the eight acceptors out of a daughter of Lonhro.

The two others are General Beau (Brazen Beau), who won the colts and geldings divisions of the Group III and Listed MRC Blue Diamond Prelude, and the race fit Jigsaw (Manhattan Rain) (has been scratched).  

Advertisement

Trained by Peter Snowden for Darley, Obsequious was a top-class racemare.

Obsequious (image Mark Smith)

After breaking her maiden when defeating More Strawberries at Warwick Farm, Obsequious separated Military Rose and Solar Charged in the Group III Reisling Stakes.

The daughter of Lonhro rounded out her juvenile season with a midfield finish in Crystal Lily's Golden Slipper.

Obsequious made the best possible start to her three-year-old season when again defeating Sunlight's dam Solar Charged in the Group III San Domenico Stakes at Randwick.

Second behind the up and coming three-year-old Buffering in the Group II Roman Consul Stakes, Obsequious revisited the winner's circle for the last time when defeating Red Tracer in the Group II Light Fingers Stakes.

Ingratiating a wonderful advertisement for Frosted (USA) (image Reg Ryan/Racing Photos)

While there is a scarcity of black-type winners on the pedigree page,  Obsequious is a granddaughter of the flying filly Shand who was bred by Peter Flynn, the manager of the Ingham family's Woodlands Stud.

Though she failed to earn black-type in a career of five wins and three placings from 13 starts, the daughter of Epsom Derby hero Quest For Fame (GB) had the Listed stakes-winner, Sweet Consort, behind her over 1200m at Rosehill. That was the culmination of a four-race winning streak, which ended when edged out by the Listed Toy Show quality winner Sash, also over 1200m at Rosehill.

Fifth in that race, almost eight lengths astern, was Snippets' Lass, who would earn fame as the dam of Snitzel, Hinchinbrook and Viennese.

On October 27 last year, Osiquious foaled a brother to Ingratiating before being covered by Russian Revolution.

A triple Grade 1 winning son of champion stallion Tapit, Frosted (USA) made many new fans with the exciting start he made with his first crop.

That is reflected in doubling his service fee to $44,000 at Darley Stud, Victoria this spring.

Frosted (USA)

Advertisment
More Reading...
All the Way Anders Winner for Myracehorse
The Myracehorse colours struck again at Doomben on Wednesday carried by progressive Anders filly Diversity, who broke her maiden in good style.
Ingratiating Strikes in Bletchingly Stakes
The two class acts, Ingratiating and General Beau, fought out the finish of Saturday's $200,000 Group III Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
Written Tycoon’s Pictor Leads Home Waller Trifecta
Having made his debut back in June with a narrow second behind fellow Yulong owned Written Tycoon colt Grand Prairie, who three starts later won the Group 3 ATC Up And Coming Stakes, Chris Waller’s progressive Pictor appreciated the step to 1400m to score at just his third career start.
First Magic 2YO Winner for Te Akau
David Ellis and Te Akau Racing spent over $5million on 17 yearlings at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale earlier this year and they unleashed their first winner from the group at Avondale on Wednesday. 
Wootton Bassett 3YO Impresses at Avondale
Promising three-year-old Kygo Star overcame a wide journey to come out on top in a tight finish in the Allspark Electrical Maiden 3YO (1400m) at Avondale on Wednesday.
Metro Winner Adds to Yes Yes Yes Spring Surge
October is shaping as a great month for Gooree Stud’s new addition Yes Yes Yes with the 2019 Everest hero reeling off four winners in the past week including Maybe Moet, who saluted at Randwick on Wednesday.
Les Young Scholarship sets Miriam on track for industry leadership
Miriam Drinnan’s vision for a big, bold career in the Thoroughbred industry has just been turbo-charged thanks to the Les Young Scholarship, an award supported by the AgriFutures Thoroughbred Horses Program.
Yulong Purchase into Enriched - Inglis October (Early) Sale
Three individual shares in the G2-winning entire Enriched sold for a combined $440,000 in a highly successful Inglis Digital October (Early) Online Sale today.
Sejardan Fits 2YO Speed Profile
There were three feature juvenile contests held at Flemington and Randwick last weekend and as usually is the case with such races, they were won by horses whose pedigrees suggested that good early form was on the cards.
Ingratiating Overpowers Them in Vain Stakes
Striking Frosted (USA) colt Ingratiating made an exciting start to his three-year-old campaign with a last to first performance in Saturday’s Group III Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.