ONE of the most talked about wins at the weekend was that of Pleasant Company in the Grade 3 At The Races Bobbyjo Chase, a race that has thrown no small measure of good winners in the past. Malcolm Denmark owns the Willie Mullins-trained winner, a most consistent son of Presenting and the Alderbrook mare Katie Flame.

Bred by Susan Bredin, Pleasant Company was sold as a three-year-old at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale for €35,000 through Ennel Bloodstock, the trading name of Cyril O’Hara and Vincent Holian. Last year the same consignors sold a now four-year-old Shantou half-sister at the Goffs Land Rover Sale.

Pleasant Company has now raced 13 times under rules and, apart from being pulled up on one occasion, he has never finished out of the first four.

Rathbarry and Glenview Studs’ Presenting needs no introduction, being for many years now one of the best National Hunt stallions in Ireland and Britain. This is yet another big race winner for the Group 2 winning, Epsom Derby-placed sire of Denman, War Of Attrition, Ballabriggs, Rogue Angel, Thunder And Roses, Weapon’s Amnesty, Yorkhill, and many more.

On the female side, Pleasant Company is the first foal, runner and winner for his dam Katie Flame. Her second foal is the unraced Robin Des Champs mare Amber Flame who is already responsible for a two-year-old son of Califet and a yearling daughter of Kalanisi. Katie Flame’s third and fourth produce are daughters of Shantou, the most recent being a three-year-old.

Katie Flame did not race and she had just a pair of siblings. One of these ran and she was the Definite Article mare Duplicate Daughter who won a point-to-point as an eight-year-old, was placed over hurdles, and is now at stud.

Their dam Shady Pet was by Shardari and a full-sister to Flame Creek. He won a dozen races in all and showed his best form over hurdles, winning the Grade 2 Champion Trial Hurdle at Haydock and finishing third in the 2003 Grade 1 Festival December Hurdle at Leopardstown.

That was a vintage renewal of the race, won by Golden Cross from Spirit Leader, with the other runners being Solerina, Back In Front, Rhinestone Cowboy and Hardy Eustace in rear.

Flame Creek and Shady Pet are out of the unraced Sheila’s Pet, a daughter of Welsh Term. She also produced the unraced Un Desperado mare Angels Flame who was responsible for a good winner by the former Anngrove Stud sire Alderbrook. He was Notarfbad whose five wins to date include the Listed Lord Mildmay Memorial Chase at Newtown Abbot.

That race was also won by another close relation in The Disengager, a son of Snurge. He also added a listed chase win at Market Rasen and was first past the post in six chases, a hurdle race and two point-to-points.

Going back one more generation and the fifth dam of Pleasant Company is the winning Lady Flame. She bred five winners, including the smart siblings King Flame and Tomboy II, and she is the third dam of Comply Or Die, the 2011 Aintree Grand National winning son of Old Vic.

Could Pleasant Company become another winner of the world’s most famous race? Time will tell.