As a $2,300,000 sales-topping brother to triple Group 1 winner Shoals, much was expected of the Fastnet Rock colt Groundswell who paid his first dividend at his second start with an authoritative win in a maiden over 1218 metres at Geelong on Sunday.
Off the scene for 20 weeks following his career debut fourth at Ballarat, Groundswell was among the first to begin under Mark Zahra who had the son of Fastnet Rock travelling sweetly behind the leader Beau Zoom.
When the heat came on, Beau Zoom wasn't giving in without a fight however Groundswell gradually wore him down and won quite cosily at the finish by a length.
Anthony Freedman has trained the first three foals out of the valuable mare The Broken Shore and all are by Fastnet Rock.
Groundswell follows the top-class Shoals and the Sandown winner Tides who won so impressively at Bendigo on Wednesday and Sam Freedman said Groundswell is typical of the breed.
"That was
super. Much like the whole family they only do just enough to get over the line,
Freedman said.
"I was a bit worried at the top of the straight that he wouldn't go past him (Beau Zoom) but he really pinned his ears back that last 100 and looked like further will really suit him.
"We saw the full-sister Tides win last week and she took a bit of time to come to hand and she is a mare on the up. Shoals was brilliant as a two-year-old and went on at three. This guy has taken a little bit longer but hopefully he can reach the same heights as Shoals one day."
Consigned by Arrowfield Stud to the 2018 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Groundswell (pictured as a yearling ) made a sales-topping $2.3 million bid from Anthony Freedman.
He carries the colours of Jonathon Munz's Pinecliff Racing who races him with several other partners including Arrowfield and Musk Creek Farm
A half-sister to Redoute's Choice, The Broken Shore is wasting no time in recouping the $1.9 million shelled out by Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock at the 2014 Teeley Asset Dispersal.
The Sydney winning daughter of Hussonet (USA) has a 2yo colt by Medaglia d'Oro and a Fastnet Rock yearling filly.
She missed to I Am Invincible last year.
