The winter jumping season is once again approaching, and we will have many familiar old faces returning, as well as several new ones making their debuts. Over the coming days and weeks I will be providing detailed essays on some of our horses that will hopefully be in the winners enclosure very shortly.
SHAWS BRIDGE. 20 May 2013. Kalanisi-Zaffarella. Owner-Graeme Newton.
Shaws Bridge is a welcome recent arrival to the yard, having already run for three other trainers in just nine appearances. Shaws Bridge is by Kalanisi, the dual Group 1 winner, and prolific sire of National Hunt horses. His dam achieved an official rating of 114, and was the winner of four of her 15 hurdle races for Lucinda Russell, between 2008-2010. Shaws Bridge has some very talented relations including the 137 rated Ravenhill Road, and the 153 rated Windsor Avenue.
Shaws Bridge started his career with the Stuart Crawford yard in Ireland, running green when finishing third on debut in a bumper at Down Royal, on Boxing Day 2018. He was next seen at Navan in March 2019, and appeared not to build on that debut by finishing sixth, beaten by 13 lengths.His last start for the Crawford yard was at Perth in April, finishing fourth of the seven, beaten by four and three quarter lengths.
After a summer break he reappeared at Downpatrick in September, and now in the care of Gordon Elliott, he finished third, but was 18 lengths behind the winner.His only other run for the Elliott yard was his hurdles debut at Sedgefield in December, where he finished fourth, beaten by 23 lengths, and recording a Racing Post Rating of 95.
Shaws Bridge was on the move again, and was next seen in a jumpers bumper at Newcastle in February 2020, and now in the care of Keith Dalgleish. In a first time hood, he hung left under pressure, but probably ran his best race yet, finishing third, beaten by one and three quarter lengths.His next run was his second attempt over hurdles, he finished an 18 lengths third, but would have been closer if not for sprawling at the last.He then made his handicap debut at Kelso, after his summer break in October, from a mark of 100, he was outpaced over the two miles from the second last, and came home fourth, beaten by 18 lengths.His next run was in a jumpers bumper at Newcastle in February 2021, when probably running his best race to date by finishing second, with the much missed Stormin Norman four and a half lengths behind him in fifth. On both of his jumpers bumpers runs Shaws Bridge looked very well handicapped for his return to hurdles from a mark of 99.
Shaws Bridge made his debut for us at Carlisle in April over two miles and one furlong, he finished a very promising fourth, beaten by just under eight lengths, with the feeling that a step up in trip would bring about further improvement. Stepping up to two and a half miles at Perth three weeks later, he took advantage of his good looking mark when comfortably coming clear for a four lengths success under Billy Garritty. His final race to date was back at Perth in May when from a 7lb higher mark he went down fighting by 3/4 length on his first try over three miles on soft ground.
Shaws Bridge remains lightly raced, and there is no reason to think he wont continue to progress this season.
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