Shepherd's delight as Puds takes him to 25 in first full season without claim

Life could have been tough for Callum Shepherd this season, his first full campaign since losing his apprentices' claim, but he is making a good fist of it and bagged his 25th winner of the season when Puds held on in the feature 0-95 sprint handicap.

His biggest seasonal total was 40 in 2016, but victory on Puds was Shepherd's third of the week, keeping him on track to get at least close to that 2016 tally, which would be some achievement for the 20-year-old.

Shepherd revealed he had mixed feelings going into this season, saying: “I was a little apprehensive. We all know how difficult it can be after you've lost your claim, but I was excited at the same time, knowing I was going toe-to-toe with the sport's biggest names.