Shamurt on upward road for Gollan

Jockey Jim Byrne is confident with time filly Shamurt can join several others from the Tony Gollan stable as top flight gallopers.

Shamurt ($4.20) shared the lead to the turn and then came again to beat Grand De Lago ($6.50) by a half neck in the Mandate Two Year Old (1050m) at Doomben on Saturday.

Gollan was in Sydney saddling Ef Troop in the Group One Golden Slipper and also has Outback Barbie in Sydney for the autumn carnival.

Byrne said Shamurt was not yet up with Ef Troop or Outback Barbie but was getting there.

“I ended up in the softer part of the track where I didn’t want to be. But she knuckled down when I asked for an effort and got to the line strongly,” Byrne said.

“When she matures over the next few months I think you will find she is going to be a really nice horse.”

Stable foreman Hollie Williams confirmed the stable’s big opinion of Shamurt, who has not been rushed to get to the track.

“She is home bred and has showed us plenty. In her trial win she was about slow to jump and Tony wanted her ridden along from her barrier today,” Williams said.

“We will see how she pulls up before we start talking about the winter carnival and the like. But she is going to mature into something a bit better than average.”