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Shirley eventually makes the breakthrough

Sun 6th Mar 2011, 15:50

In first time cheek-pieces Shirley Casper was hammered from 5/2 this morning into 6/4 for the Billy Brophy Memorial Beginners Steeplechase at Naas and the ten-year-old daughter of Presenting comfortably landed the wagers under Paddy Flood.

The Seamus Dunne-owned mare jumped well in the main from the front and up the straight she had her pursuers on the stretch. On the run-in she kept going well to comfortably see off Like Your Style and Kilflora by three and a half lengths and a length and a quarter.

Successful trainer Dessie Hughes said: "It's overdue. Good ground is the key to her and there's plenty of novices left for her. Once the ground dries up she'll improve a lot.

"The plan was to make it here. She's a two and a half mile mare really and she doesn't quicken that much but she goes a good pace and keeps it up."