Shim Sham

Despite going off a 33/1 shot, Shim Sham ran out a really impressive winner of a seven-furlong maiden at Salisbury. Brian Meehan’s filly broke well and she showed a lot of early pace to take it up in the early stages. She was always travelling well in front, and she had the whole field in trouble at the halfway stage as she moved four lengths clear. She set a fairly brisk pace all the way though, it seemed as though she would run out of steam and it looked ominous when Lay Time and Chinook Wind began to close at the two-furlong pole. But Martin Dwyer never really looked to be too concerned, and when he asked Shim Sham to go on again, she picked up really well to extend her lead again, holding the late challenge of the well-backed Godolphin horse, Kawlah, who had met trouble in running three furlongs out.

There was a lot to like about Shim Sham’s performance here, she broke well, set her own fast pace, she travelled really well in front and she kept on it all the way to the line. The run was a huge step up on her debut in a Newbury maiden three weeks previously, when she was slowly away, she never travelled and she eventually finished last. However, given that she is trained by Brian Meehan, whose juveniles tend to come on appreciably for their debut, it is perhaps not a surprise she was able to produce this on her second run. Despite the impressive performance from Shim Sham, the main talking point of the race is likely to be about the run that Kawlah had to endure. After missing the break, Frankie Dettori had to sit and suffer on the rail behind runners on the favourite until he was able to get out at the two-furlong pole, and she finished best of all. She was well-touted beforehand and may be hyped up after this, while Shim Sham may well be underrated, as 33/1 winners often are.

A daughter of Danehill Dancer, who was bought for 180,000 guineas, she is a half-sister to Irish 2000 Guineas third Decado and she should get a mile in time. She is a Fillies’ Mile entrant, so she is obviously held in high regard and she should be worth following. She may be under-rated wherever she goes next.

2nd September 2010

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