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