Shawshank showed plenty of pace on his reappearance at Castletown-Geoghegan on the opening weekend of the season when sitting up with the tempo in what was a race run to an even gallop throughout. Sent to the front by Barry O’Neill with just over a circuit to race, the strong travelling son of Presenting soon began to stretch the field, as one-by-one, horses began to drop off the main group. By the home straight, only one horse had been able to go with him, the vastly more experienced Gaye Breeze. Shawshank was always comfortably holding that rival to the line, wining cosily, with the front pair having pulled 12 lengths clear of the favourite. Reappearing a month later at Damma House, Shawshank faced an intriguing rival in Fullasthesea, a horse who had won his four-year-old maiden at Moira by 20 lengths, a race which has produced no fewer than four subsequent maiden winners. The pair were sent off as the unsurprising market principals, and they set a very strong pace from flag fall which soon had their six other rivals out of their comfort zone. The gap between these pair and the remainder, who are more typical of winners-grade company was very clear on the final circuit as the eased clear. Shawshank looked to be getting the upper hand at the second-last when Fullasthesea crashed out, allowing him to ease to a 15-length victory over the three-time track placed Sandycove Island.