Exclusive interview with trainer Anthony Freedman about his triple Gr.1 winning Fastenet Rock filly, Shoals. After her victory in the Gr.1 Surround Stakes the owners together with Freedman hoped to race her at Royal Ascot. But after her next group one win, in the Robert Sangster Stakes the Ascot plan was put on hold for a year and instead they planned for her to aim for the A$13,000,000 race instead. Fortuitously The Star Entertainment decided to select Shoals as their contender in second edition of The Everest 2018.
Team Freedman hope for Shoal’s stablemateand fellow three-time Group One winner Santa Ana Lane will join her at Randwick as a contender.
The Anthony Freedman trained son of Lope De Vega is now the winner of $2,228,711 in stakes courtesy of seven wins and six placings from 27 outings and he also became the first horse in history to annex the Goodwood/Stradbroke double.
“I remember him well … he was such an uncomplicated type of horse,” Reminisced Anthony Mithenowner of Victoria’s Rosemont Stud which sold Santa Ana Lane as a yearling – on behalf of breeder Dyson Hore-Lacy – for $80,000 at the 2014 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
Freedman said “Shoals is in training for The Everest. She started last Monday. She will have a prep race in Melbourne before The Everest.
ANZ Bloodstock has reported that unofficially Freedman has earmarked the Gr.1 A J Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley as the possible lead-up race.
“She (the daughter of Fastnet Rock out of Danehill) is a good and straightforward horse to train. She is a very lady back filly at home but she is a complete professional on the racecourse.
“She (Shoals) was a homebred and given to me to train by the owners.
“We also have a full sister and a full brother to Shoals in the stable as well. ” said Freedman.
Shoals was bred by Jonathan Munz and John Messara and is the first foal out of The Broken Shore, who was a A$1.9m purchase at Magic Millions in 2014 when carrying Shoals.The Broken Shore has since produced a full-sister to Shoals called Tides who is yet to race and foaled a full-brother in 2016.
Anthony Freedman securedthe Fastnet Rock colt, for a cool A$2.3m at the Inglis Easter sale earlier this year. Freedman now trains the colt's unraced sister Tides as well. He will be training the colt as well.
SW wishes Mr. Freedman and Shoals all the best for The Everest and the possible A J Moir Stakes.
Published In EverestDiaries Issue 1, Vol 1
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