Shoals (Image: @FreedmanRacing)
Shoals may have earned the first and only blemish against her name for her first-up autumn performance, but her stable is confident there will be no repeat of that disappointment when she has her opening spring run in Saturday's McEwen Stakes at The Valley.
In 10 career starts, the three-time Group 1 winner has only finished out of the first two on one occasion and that came fresh-up in the autumn when finishing eighth in the Group 3 Kevin Hayes Stakes.
The Freedman camp, however, is adamant a repeat performance is not on the cards this Saturday when the four-year-old mare begins her campaign over 1000m at The Valley.
"We have been really happy with her, she has had two strong trials and her trackwork has been solid at home, so she comes into her first-up run a little bit more forward than she was last preparation," assistant trainer Sam Freedman said at trackwork on Tuesday morning.
The daughter of Fastnet Rock finished her three-year old season with Group 1 victories in the Myer Classic and Surround Stakes before a breathtaking victory in the Sangster Stakes in Adelaide.
Since that performance back in May, Shoals has trialled twice at Cranbourne and if her work on the Mornington course proper on Tuesday morning is any indication she may add to her impressive fresh-up record despite facing short-priced favourite Nature Strip (currently $1.65 with BetEasy).
"She needs quite a bit of work throughout her preparation, so it was a strong piece of work, we are keeping her sharp for the 1000 metres this weekend so hopefully she can acquit herself well," Freedman added.
"She just went half-a-mile and improved from the 600 metres, she worked with one of John McArdle's horses (Beau Rada) and put him away quite nicely, she often can idle a little when she hits the front; but she was happy to go strong to the line.
"There is big rap on Nature Strip so that takes a bit of the pressure away, we are first-up knowing we are going towards The Everest, so she is not fully wound up for it, there is a little bit of pressure with her record, but we will be happy finishing second to him (Nature Strip)."
Stablemate Ambitious will also begin his spring campaign at Moonee Valley in the Dato' Tan Chin Nam Stakes over 1600m. The former Japanese galloper will kick off his second Australian campaign in the Group 2 feature after several unlucky runs in the autumn.
"We have always maintained he was going take a preparation to reach his best," Freedman explained.
"After his campaign in Queensland he put on a lot of weight, he is probably walking around 30-35 kilograms heavier than he was last preparation, his recent trial at Cranbourne on a heavy track is the best he has trialled for us and his trackwork has been really solid.
"It will be short of his best on Saturday over that trip but hopefully he can be finding the line late.
"His run behind Almandin in Sydney (Tancred) was solid, he just got held up on the turn (and then) the Doomben Cup was a bit of a disaster, he couldn't get clear running.
"We think he has the potential to win a Group 1 in Australia, he's just got to strike it on the right day.
"We are looking forward to this preparation, it could be a positive prep in terms of trying to get a Group 1 for him.