There is tremendous anticipation building ahead of the 2024 Group I ATC Surround Stakes in two weeks time and the winner in 2018 was blueblood Fastnet Rock filly Shoals, who produced her first winner at Werribee on Sunday.
Trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman, three year-old I Am Invincible filly Isthmus was having her first run back from a lengthy spell having placed in two of her three previous starts last year.
She was sent out a short priced favourite for the 1100m maiden and showed a glimpse of her potential when strolling clear to win by four lengths.
Retained to race by her breeders Arrowfield Stud and Jonathan Munz, Isthmus is the first foal of triple Group I winner Shoals, whose second foal is a Written Tycoon colt that was sold by Arrowfield at Inglis Easter last year for $1million Aramco Racing / Yulong Investment / Mick Kent.
He has been named Chelsea and is in work with Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr.
Shoals has two more fillies to follow by I Am Invincible and Maurice (Jpn) and was covered again last spring by I Am Invincible.
Shoals is a sister to stakes-winner Groundswell and claims blue hen Shantha’s Choice as her grand-dam so it’s the family of Group I winners Redoute’s Choice, Platinum Scissors and Manhattan Rain with exciting Zoustar colt Schwarz an exciting up and comer for this amazing dynasty.