Home-bred Isthmus wins G3 Furphy Sprint
Isthmus (white, red stripes) shows a clean pair of heels to her rivals in the Furphy Sprint G3 on Derby Day at Flemington. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
Seven years after her champion mother Shoals won the Empire Rose S. G1, 4YO mare Isthmus took no prisoners in the $200,000 Begonia Belle S. 1100m G3 – currently known as the Furphy Sprint.
She joined Aeliana & Switzerland to give Arrowfield graduates & stallions three Group wins on the nine-race Derby Day card with a powerhouse exhibition of quality speed that stopped the clock at 1:02.64 – a record time for the race and just 0.49 outside the 11 year-old course record.
Blink and you’ll miss her 💨
ISTHMUS sprints home to take out the last on #DerbyDay.
🎥 @wwos | #MelbCupCarnival pic.twitter.com/eEkh4Cxc2h
— Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) November 2, 2024
Jockey Blake Shinn said, “I’ve loved her from day one, when I sat on her, and I’m impressed by her development to win a stakes race on Derby Day…she’s a lovely mare now.
“She jumped well and I just said ‘whoa, girl’ and as soon as I did that, she just relaxed…and when I wanted her to come underneath me and put pressure into the race, she was there for me and really savaged the line well.”
Co-trainer Sam Freedman said, “She’s a mare we’ve had full confidence in for some time…Being a stakeswinner now makes a big difference to her page, she’s certainly a valuable mare. She’s capable of getting to the top level we feel, and then maybe it’s the [Group 1] Sangster in the Autumn.”
By three-time Champion Sire I Am Invincible, Isthmus is the first foal of Champion 3YO Filly & triple Group 1 winner Shoals (by Fastnet Rock from Redoute’s Choice’s half-sister The Broken Shore), and has now won five of her 11 starts and $260,000 for her owner-breeders Arrowfield & Pinecliff Racing.
Shoals’ second foal, a colt by Written Tycoon was purchased for $1 million by Aramco Racing & Yulong Investments from Arrowfield’s 2023 Inglis Easter draft. Named Chelsea, he will race from the Chris Waller stable.
Shoals also has a 2YO filly by I Am Invincible & a yearling filly by Maurice, and last month she foaled a third filly by I Am Invincible.
Just over three months into the 2024/25 season, Arrowfield farm & sale graduates have won 13 stakes & feature races including three at Group 1 level: the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Switzerland), Caulfield Guineas (Private Life) & Flight Stakes (Lady Shenandoah).
