Magnificent Shoals leads home Arrowfield Group 1 quinella
Shoals and Tim Clark power imperiously past their rivals at Morphettville. (PHOTO: Darren Tindale)
Sensational at Flemington in the Spring, dominant at Randwick in March and now magnificent at Morphettville in May.
That’s the story of Shoals’ season for her owner-breeders Arrowfield & Jonathan Munz after meeting and beating three Group 1 fields of quality fillies and mares.
The daughter of Fastnet Rock and The Broken Shore has firmly established herself as Australia’s best 3YO filly and one of the most valuable distaff performers of any age in the country.
Saturday’s victory in the $1 million SAJC Robert Sangster S. 1200m G1 was made even sweeter for Arrowfield by Secret Agenda’s gallant second placing, sealing a graduate Group 1 quinella for the farm.
Secret Agenda (Not A Single Doubt-Negotiate) was a $120,000 buy from Arrowfield’s 2014 Magic Millions draft by Blueblood Thoroughbreds. Her sterling 4-season, 7-win, $1.5 million career includes the 2017 Robert Sangster Classic G1.
Watch Shoals win the SAJC Robert Sangster S. G1.
Three Group 1 wins in her first 10 starts stamp Shoals as something special and trainer Anthony Freedman and his team can be proud of preparing her for peak performances at 1600, 1400 and 1200 metres in two campaigns this season.
“What next for Shoals?” is the question that Jonathan Munz and John Messara are now considering. The Freedman stable reported on Monday evening that Royal Ascot, at least for this year, is off the table, in favour of The Everest at Randwick in October, subject to accessing a slot.
In the meantime, Shoals’ excellent recovery after Saturday keeps open the possibility of a start in the $1 million Goodwood G1, also over 1200m at Morphettville on 19 May.
It has been a remarkable few weeks for The Broken Shore (by Hussonet), whose third foal is last month’s $2.3 million Inglis Easter sale-topper, a full brother to Shoals.
The eight year-old mare’s work-in-progress also includes 2YO filly Tides, retained by Arrowfield and Pineciff Racing, a weanling colt by Medaglia d’Oro and a fourth Fastnet Rock foal due this coming Spring.
Hussonet mares are compiling an impressive record with Danehill sons. Shoals and another Arrowfield graduate, dual Group 1 winner Majmu (by Redoute’s Choice), head the nine stakeswinners from 87 runners bred that way.
