The half-sister to multiple stakes-winner Pasikatera (Thunder Gulch) began her track career under the guidance of Gai Waterhouse before later switching to Noel Doyle. Neither of those two master trainers could coax a win out of Flamboyance and after 14 starts she retired to Gilbert's Highgrove Stud.
She was given every chance with a first-up visit to champion Fastnet Rock.
The result was a filly that made just $6,000 as a yearling. Only two of over 800 yearlings by the 2-time Australian Champion sire have made less.
Things picked up with the second foal, a Stratum filly purchased by Gai Waterhouse for $190,000 at the 2014 Magic Millions sale on the Gold Coast.
Named Flamboyant Lass, she showed ability from the start, finishing third at Randwick before breaking her maiden at the same track at her next start.
Sent down to Melbourne for the Group II Blue Diamond Prelude, Flamboyant Lass finished third behind the winner Fontiton.
Flamboyant Lass did not strike at blow in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at what was her final start at two.
This season the daughter of Stratum made three starts in the spring, winning at Warwick Farm before a second in the Listed Reginald Allan Quality at Rosehill before a close-up fifth behind stablemate Speak Fondly in the Group 1 Flight Stakes at Randwick.
Certainly Ron Gilbert must have gone to the 2015 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling sale with a degree of confidence as he was offering a brother to Flamboyant Lass in the Highgrove draft.
That confidence was rewarded when James Harron made the winning bid at a whopping $620,000.
That is the highest price ever paid for a yearling by Golden Slipper winner Stratum.
From a $6,000 Fastnet Rock filly to a record-breaking $620,000 Stratum colt in the space of two years – talk about the vagaries of breeding.
At Rosehill on Saturday, the Stratum colt, named Attention (pictured as a yearling), will go some way to show if that was money well spent when making his career debut in the opening event over 1100 metres.
Trained by Peter and Paul Snowden, Attention has had two official barrier trails, finishing second both times.
