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.
Damien Oliver allowed the Godolphin homebred to ease back from an outside barrier. Given a rev up before the home turn, Ingratiating came widest of all around the bend. Keeping up a relentless gallop, Ingratiating was strong to the line in defeating the Brazen Beau colt General Beau by a length with the heavily backed Snitzel colt Generation a short-head back in third.
Among the best of his generation at two, Ingratiating advanced his record to three wins, three seconds and a third from eight starts with earnings of $978,750.
Oliver said that Ingratiating had made pleasing physical improvement.
“He’s developed nicely. He has definitely filled out a bit which is what you want to see from two to three,” Oliver said.
“It’s not easy when they have had a busy season, especially when they don’t get a big break in-between.
“They have not been making up much ground so far today. He settled back off them. They quickened around the bend, but halfway down the straight I did not have to pick him up with the whip and he won nicely.
“There are a lot of options for him. He is essentially a sprinter. From 1200m to 1400m is probably his best distance.
“There has always been little between him and Anamoe. I’ve felt that this horse is probably a little more precocious than Anamoe who came into his own when he got to 1400m.
“I’ve always had a lot of time for this horse.
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.
After splitting Artorius and Anamoe in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield, Ingratiating missed a place for the first time when a troubled fifth, beaten just over a length, in the Group III Pago Pago Stakes at Rosehill.
A fortnight later, Ingratiating finished third behind Stay Inside and Anamoe in the Golden Slipper.
Ingratiating is the best of four winners from as many to race out of the Lonhro mare Obsequious, winner of the Group II ATC Light Fingers Stakes and Group III San Domenico Stakes.
Obsequious was purchased by Eddie Hirsch for $27,500 from the Godolphin draft offered at the 2020 Inglis July (Early) Online Sale.
She was carrying a full-brother to Ingratiating and was bred back to Russian Revolution last spring.
