The future looks bright for the 3-year-old Shamus Award gelding Odegaard, who made a winning career debut in the competitive Blakes Marine Provincial Maiden Hcp (1300m) at Hawkesbury on Thursday.
Ridden by Tim Clark for Ed Cummings, Odegaard sat just off the pace, moving to a challenging position on the turn. When asked for an effort, the son of Shamus Award had plenty to offer, hitting the line strongly to hand the honest 4-year-old Caravaggio (USA) mare Miss Cartel her third consecutive second.
The Sara Ryan-trained 2-year-old Justify (USA) filly Lady Justice took on her elders at her career debut and was far from disgraced in finishing third. There will be a win for her in the not-too-distant future.
Odegaard was a $200,000 purchase for Myrtle House from the Rosemont Farm draft at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
“It’s wonderful for the owners, Don Dickie and his team, Julia Ritchie and a few other good supporters of the stable,” Ed Cummings said.
“He was an impressive yearling and a relatively expensive Shamus Award, out of a half to Nature Strip. He is not quite the genuine sprinter he was, but we are hopeful he is a really nice 2000m plus horse.
“He has taken a bit of time, which is why he is debuting now. It took a little while to get his legs right, but he developed a bit of hardiness when he grew into himself.
“He has improved significantly from one outing to the next, and they are the horses you want to fill the stable with.”
Bred by Barree Stud, Odegaard is the first runner for the Star Witness mare Tainted Witness, a sister to the Listed Fernhill Hacp winner The Barrister and a half-sister to 9-time Group 1 winner and $20,765,008 earner Nature Strip (Nicconi).
A $90,000 buy at the 2015 Inglis Gold Yearling Sale, Tainted Witness has a sister to Odegaard sell to Apollo Ng for $145,000 from the Ultra Thoroughbreds draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Sent to New Zealand to foal another Shamus Award filly in 2022, Tainted Witness foaled a Savabeel filly last spring and was bred back to the champion Waikato stallion.
