Shotgun Shirley
Shotgun Shirley did well to stay on as well as she did to finish third in the mares' novices' handicap hurdle final at Newbury on Saturday. Back in the field early on, Lucy Wadham's mare was in traffic on the run to the third last flight. She had to check and switch on the approach, and a mistake at the obstacle exacerbated her loss of momentum. She came under a ride from Tom Cannon at the second last flight as the winner and runner-up got away from her, but she stayed on strongly up the run-in to finish a clear third, closing on the runner-up Pismo Beach all the way to the line and clocking the fastest final furlong.
Winner of a bumper at Uttoxeter last October and second behind Celestial Tune in the mares' bumper at Cheltenham's November meeting, this was just Shotgun Shirley's fourth run over hurdles, and it was the best performance of her career. The handicapper raised her by just 2lb for this run to a mark of 111, which was more than fair. You would have been expecting 4lb or 5lb. She is progressive anyway, and she has the potential to progress again for a step up in trip. This race next year would be a legitimate target for her if she remains a novice until the end of the season. Pismo Beach finished third in the race last year and ran a big race to finish second this year. Alternatively, Shotgun Shirley will be of interest if she races again before the end of the season, she is versatile in terms of ground conditions, and interest will be heightened if she steps up in trip.
Newbury, 21st March 2026
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