Swettenham Stud’s I Am Immortal has a promising 3-year-old in Immortal Shield, who bounced back from a fast-finishing third on debut to space his rivals in the Brandt Maiden Plate (1200m) on the Ballarat Synthetic on Friday.
Ridden by Blaike McDougall for Ben, Will and JD Hayes, Immortal Shield jumped a length in front and led at every call to defeat the Street Boss (USA) gelding Chicago Steel by five lengths with the Manhattan Rain filly Santolini a half-length back in third.
Passed in when failing to make his reserve at the 2022 Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale, Immortal Shield was a $50,000 purchase for Lindsay Park Racing when consigned by Stonehouse Thoroughbreds to the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale Showcase Session.
“He’s a long-legged and covers the ground well,” McDougall said.
“He’s doing it at this distance on sheer ability as he feels like a miler in the making.
“He quicked up well, and comes from the right barn, as he is well educated.
“He will be a nice horse in time.”
A lovely stamp of a horse, Immortal Shield is the first foal of the hard-knocking All American mare Savvy Shields, a 5-time winner daughter of Miss Savabeel (Savabeel), a sister to the Listed Alexandra stakes winner and Group 1 Australian Guineas runner-up You're So Good.
From the family of dual Group 1 winner Melito, Savvy Shields was an $8,000 Inglis Digital purchase in 2020 for Dream Thoroughbreds.
Savvy Shields has been married to I Am Immortal. She has a 2-year-old colt and yearling filly by the Swettenham Stud stallion and visited him again last spring.
