Connections of last Saturday’s Robert Sangster Stakes winner Shoals will not travel to England for the 2018 Royal Ascot Carnival but will now be set for the 2018 $13m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick during the Sydney Spring Carnival.
Shoals, above in red and white colours, will be aimed towards the 2018 The Everest at Randwick. Photo by Jenny Barnes.
Shoals was able to beat the older mares when she stormed home to win the Group 1 $1m Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville and a Royal Ascot campaign was high on the agenda for the Fastnet Rock three old year filly.
Senior owners Jonathan Munz and John Messara held discussions over the weekend resulting in trainer Anthony Freedman revealing on his is website that Shoals would remain in Australia and be prepared to run in The Everest and could also make a surprise return to Morphettville for the Group 1 $1m Darley Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on May 19.
“Triple Group 1 winning filly Shoals will not travel to England to race at Royal Ascot this winter as had been planned with connections now keen to extend her racing career another season to take in races such as October’s $13 million The Everest in Sydney,” Racing.com’s Andrew Eddy reported on Anthony Freedman’s website.
“It is understood part-owners Jonathan Munz and John Messara decided on Monday after Shoals’ incredible Sangster Stakes victory in Adelaide last Saturday that the filly deserved her chance to improve her record even further next season when matched up against the males after beating fellow fillies regularly this season.”
Shoals recorded her third Group 1 win from only ten race starts and added last Saturday’s Robert Sangster victory to her wins in the Group 1 $500,000 Myer Classic (1600m) at Flemington during the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival and in the Group 1 $500,000 James Boag’s Premium Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick during this year’s Sydney Autumn Carnival.
Early betting for The Everest at Ladbrokes.com.au has Shoals marked at $26 while the Gerald Ryan trained Trapeze Artist sits at the top of the market at $4.50 ahead of last year’s Everest winner Redzel at $6.
Early betting for the 2018 The Everest at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4.50 Trapeze Artist, $6 Redzel, $7 Ittetsu, $8 In Her Time, $9 Vega Magic, $13 Kementari, Merchant Navy, $15 Happy Clapper, $17 Brave Smash, Viddora, $21 Chautauqua, Menari, Nature Strip, $26 Hot King Prawn, Shoals, Redkirk Warrior, $31 Impending, $34 Winx, $41 or better the rest.
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