All trips come alike to Shelbe The Big Bad Bob filly Shelbe really wanted it in the Hen And Stag Parties At Dundalk Stadium Handicap over five furlongs. Any potential negative in the fact that her previous course win came over an extended mile and a quarter was therefore overcome. One of the joint favourites, Pillar, was free early on, and that was no help to him as he tried to fend off Shelbe inside the last. The McNally Racing Syndicate owned Shelbe finished strongly to get up and prevail by half a length in the hands of 7Ib claimer Andrew Breslin. At odds of 40/1 Gopsies Daughters was the same distance back in third. Shelbe's 8/1 success was all the more meritorious given that she had a wide draw in stall eleven to work from. The four-year-old is trained in Banbridge County Down by Matt Quinn. O.J. Orr, rider of Iconic Figure, trained by Paul W. Flynn, reported to the Stewards' Secretaries that his mount ran wide off the final bend. (EM)
