It’s been 10 years since Rod and Tania Cosgrove purchased Sweet Ora at the 2015 Perth Magic Millions Yearling Sale and the latest dividend from that $15,000 buy arrived when Playin’it Sweet won at Pinjarra on Saturday.
Playin’it Sweet went out a $1.50 public-elect for the Chaff City Plate (1400m) after opening her winning account in a Pinjarra nursery for Adam Durrant and Lucy Fiore earlier this month. Front-runner London’s Rascal (Gingerbread Man) set a good clip and Fiore took advantage settling the odds-on favourite in the running line and ready to pounce.
They circled the leaders on the corner and the beautifully-bred Playing God – Sweet Ora filly won with plenty in hand from Bannered (Starspangledbanner) and Pony Up (Dirty Work). It sent her bank-balance to almost $190,000 after Westspeed Platinum tipped in Bonuses of $44,000 for both victories.
Rod and Tania bred and race Playin’it Sweet with their daughters Jasmine and Georgia and she is the final foal from Sweet Ora who was retired last November after missing to Playing God. Based at Allanooka, the Cosgrove family operate three farms over 4400ha in the WA Wheatbelt.
“I paid $70,000 for a colt at last year’s Magic Millions and this filly was a cheapie I liked from Geisel Park,” Rod Cosgrove said in July 2016 after Sweet Ora scored a brilliant four-length victory in the Carbine Club of WA Stakes (1000m) at Belmont. She eventually won 7 races and over $455,000 in prizemoney before bowing out as a summer 5yo for Durrant in December 2018.
Geisel Park owner Eddie Rigg bred Sweet Ora using Champion Mungrup sire Oratorio (Stravinsky) over Blondine (Danehill) who was a Caulfield winner for Lee Freedman. And she had already foaled LR Hareeba Stakes winner La Famelia (Strategic) before Rigg bought her at the 2010 Inglis Easter Broodmare Sale.
Her dam Biancaneve (Salieri) was a three-quarter sister to Champion Australian Sprinter Schillaci (Salieri) and the next dam down the page was Forina (Biscay) who had won the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield in 1974.
Blondine owned one of the best pedigrees of a proven mare to venture west after that Inglis Easter Broodmare Sale. And she also rates as one the best bargains after Premium Bloodstock’s Grant Burns stole her for $10,000 when bidding on behalf of Rigg.
