Key Points
- Shagraan will seek to retain the William Hill Beverley Bullet title in the hands of trainer Clive Cox at Beverley Racecourse on Sunday.
- This will be Clive Cox’s fourth attempt at the Listed race. He hopes to surpass Bryan Smart who jointly holds the record with three victories.
- Cox won the Westwood’s Listed race twice in 2021 and 2022 with Tis Marvellous before winning the race in 2023 with Kerdos.
- Shagraan was the winner of the race last year under the training of Mick Appleby and he later joined Clive Cox at Lambourn.
- The horse has competed in better races this year and even contested a Group One race. This time he will wear cheekpieces.
- JM Jungle will contest Listed company nine days after coming seventh in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York.
- Other notable runners include Heavenly Heather, Ain’t Nobody and Washington Heights.
- Eleven horses will line up in Beverley Racecourse’s premier sprint.
Wales (Wales Times) August 29, 2026 — Shagraan will attempt to deliver Clive Cox a record fourth success in the William Hill Beverley Bullet when the defending champion returns to the East Yorkshire track on Sunday.
The Listed sprint is Beverley Racecourse’s leading short-distance contest, and Cox arrives with an opportunity to become its most successful trainer. The Lambourn-based handler currently shares the record with Bryan Smart, but a victory for Shagraan would take Cox clear after a sequence of three previous wins in the race.
As reported by the South Wales Guardian, Cox won the Westwood’s Listed feature in three consecutive years. Stable stalwart Tis Marvellous secured back-to-back victories in 2021 and 2022, before Kerdos continued the trainer’s successful run by winning in 2023.
Shagraan provides Cox with an established course-and-race contender. The sprinter won the Beverley Bullet 12 months ago when trained by Mick Appleby, with the South Wales Guardian describing that performance as a facile success. The horse is now in Cox’s care and will seek to retain the crown after competing in higher-class races earlier in the current campaign.
Cox told the South Wales Guardian that Shagraan had made a positive start for the stable before being placed in demanding company.
“He ran especially well for us first time up in the spring and has been highly tried, including at Group One level, since then.”
The trainer said the return to Beverley, together with the drop in class from Group One competition to Listed level, could suit the defending champion.
“I’m pleased to take him back to a track that he’s shown a liking for last year and fingers crossed he will enjoy himself again there.”
Cox also confirmed an equipment change for Shagraan, who is set to wear cheekpieces for the first time. The trainer said the addition is intended to assist the horse during the race rather than represent a major tactical alteration.
“He uk/sports/">sports cheekpieces for the first time, just for a little bit of concentration and to give him a bit of confidence.”
Cox added that Beverley has been a rewarding venue for his stable in this specific race.
“We’ve had some wonderful success in the race and it’s always a very enjoyable track to visit at this time of year. Fingers crossed it will prove lucky once again.”
Which horses could challenge Shagraan at Beverley?
JM Jungle is among the main opposition after dropping back in grade following his latest run in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York. The six-year-old finished seventh in the Group One sprint only nine days before his intended Beverley appearance.
The horse is trained by John Quinn in partnership with his son Sean Quinn. Speaking to the South Wales Guardian, John Quinn said conditions were not expected to create concern for JM Jungle.
“We’re happy with him and he won’t mind the cut in the ground, so we’re not too worried about that. Let’s hope for a big run.”
JM Jungle’s Nunthorpe performance came in a notably stronger race than the Beverley Bullet. Quinn said the gelding had finished two and three-quarter lengths behind Bacio, whom he referred to as “what they say is the best sprinter around”.
“He ran well last week. He was beaten two and three-quarter lengths by what they say is the best sprinter around, so he’s run really well and he seems fine. Let’s hope he can get his head in front.”
The race also brings together several runners returning swiftly after competing at York. Tracy Waggott’s Heavenly Heather was 10th in the Nunthorpe, while Kevin Ryan’s Ain’t Nobody finished 13th in the same Group One event.
Kevin Ryan has another contender in Washington Heights, who arrives at Beverley after finishing second on his most recent start at Deauville. That result gives the stable a second route into the race, with Ain’t Nobody returning quickly from York and Washington Heights coming from a recent French performance.
The South Wales Guardian reported that 11 runners are due to go to post for the sprinting highlight of Beverley Racecourse’s programme. The field includes a defending winner, recent Group One participants and horses with form from overseas competition, creating a competitive Listed contest without changing the central objective for Cox and Shagraan: retaining the title and setting a new training record.
Why does Shagraan return to Listed level at Beverley?
Shagraan’s campaign has involved attempts at a significantly higher standard than the Beverley Bullet. Cox said the horse had been “highly tried”, including in Group One races, after showing promise on his first appearance for the trainer in spring.
A return to a Listed race represents a lower level of competition than a Group One contest. For Shagraan, the move is also a return to a course where he has already demonstrated effectiveness, having won the Beverley Bullet when trained by Appleby last year.
The use of cheekpieces is another element of the horse’s return. Cox’s explanation was that the headgear is being introduced to aid concentration and confidence. The effect of that change will only be known once the race is run, but it is a clearly stated adjustment to Shagraan’s race-day equipment.
The established course record is a central part of the case for Shagraan. Unlike rivals arriving on the back of efforts at York or Deauville, he has already won the same contest at Beverley. Cox’s earlier results in the race also provide relevant context: Tis Marvellous won twice for the stable and Kerdos won once, leaving Cox level with Smart before this year’s renewal.
What is the background to the Beverley Bullet bid?
The William Hill Beverley Bullet is a Listed sprint staged at Beverley Racecourse. The contest has been particularly productive for Clive Cox, whose three victories have come across a four-year period through Tis Marvellous in 2021 and 2022, followed by Kerdos in 2023.
Shagraan won the race in the previous season while trained by Mick Appleby. His defence of the title comes after a change of trainer, with Cox now responsible for the horse. The race therefore offers Cox both an opportunity to retain the trophy with last year’s winner and to become the event’s outright most successful trainer.
The 11-runner field includes several horses whose recent form was achieved in stronger races, notably the Nunthorpe Stakes at York. JM Jungle, Heavenly Heather and Ain’t Nobody all return after that Group One contest, while Washington Heights brings recent second-place form from Deauville.
How could this development affect racing followers?
For racing followers, the Beverley Bullet provides a direct comparison between a defending course winner and rivals returning from recent high-level sprint races. Shagraan’s performance will be relevant to those assessing whether his return to Listed company and first-time cheekpieces can help him reproduce last year’s Beverley result.
For Clive Cox’s stable, a win would establish a new record of four Beverley Bullet victories and extend a successful history in the race. For the other trainers and connections, the contest offers an immediate opportunity for runners such as JM Jungle, Heavenly Heather and Ain’t Nobody to move from Group One competition into Listed company, while Washington Heights seeks to build on his Deauville second.
The outcome may also shape perceptions of the runners’ suitability for late-season sprint races, though it will not in itself determine subsequent entries, targets or results. The confirmed immediate significance is that Shagraan has the chance to defend his title and give Cox sole possession of the Beverley Bullet training record.
