Jockey Dean Yendall is starting to build an enviable record aboard three-year-old fillies.
Yendall had never ridden a Group One winner until guiding filly Yankee Rose to success in last year’s Spring Champion Stakes in Sydney.
He went on to win on another filly I Am A Star in last year’s Myer Classic and followed up again on Shoals in Saturday’s Group One race at Flemington.
Sent out the $4.80 favourite, Shoals was the only filly in the weight-for-age race restricted to females.
After taking over turning for home Shoals held off a late challenge from Eckstein ($41) to win by a short half-head with Dixie Blossoms ($12) the same margin away third.
Winning trainer Anthony Freedman said Yendall was again back in his good books.
Yendall won the Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes on Santa Ana Lane for Freedman before finishing 12th on Mr Sneaky in the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield last month.
“The benefit with Dean is he rides them in a good saddle at this weight and he doesn’t waste,” Freedman said.
“A lot of guys will say they can do the weight, but they’re at 60 per cent but you know with him he’s physically 100 per cent.”
Freedman had planned a four run campaign for Shoals into Saturday’s race and wasn’t prepared to alter those plans despite being beaten by Aloisia in the Thousand Guineas at Caulfield.
“We were initially a little disappointed with her last run,” Freedman said.
“The winner has proven to be high quality and we got confident when that filly won last Saturday.”
Freedman said Shoals had been under-rated because of her size but is incredibly tough knowing how difficult the race is to win.
Freedman’s brother Lee trained outstanding filly Alinghi who carried 47.5kg but finished second as an odds-on favourite.
“We couldn’t believe she got beaten with that weight advantage as great as she was,” Freedman said.
“This filly has probably been a bit underrated because she’s not very big and she never wins by a lot but I thought she was incredibly tough today, especially against those older and tougher mares.
“A mile sees her right out so all her racing now will be up to a mile and probably more at the shorter trips.
“And there’s no reason why she can’t win another Group One.”
