The first foal of triple Group I winning mare Shoals, blueblood I Am invincible mare Isthmus has been threatening to win a stakes race this year and got the job done when charging clear to score a dominant victory in the Group III VRC Furphy Sprint (1100m) at Flemington on Saturday over another I Am Invincible mare in Kundalini.
Trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman, Isthmus let loose with a brilliant turn of foot for Blake Shinn at the furlong to dash away from her rivals winning by two and a half lengths to take her overall record to five wins from 11 starts with prizemoney topping $260,000.
"Being a stakes winner now makes a big difference to her page and she's certainly a valuable mare," Sam Freedman said.
"So she's capable of getting to the top level, we feel, and maybe it's a Sangster (G1) in the Autumn."
Retained to race by her breeders Arrowfield Stud and Jonathan Munz, Isthmus is the first foal of triple Group I winner Shoals, a full sister to stakes-winner Groundswell that 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.
Shoals has an unnamed two year-old filly by I Am Invincible and a yearling filly by Maurice (Jpn. She has also foaled this spring producing another filly by I Am invincible.
Isthmus is the 110th stakes-winner for Yarraman Park's champion sire I Am Invincible.
