She was part of a very strong generation of fillies at West Ilsley, which also included Bireme and the partially sighted The Dancer (May Hill Stakes).
On 7 June Shoot A Line contested the 202nd running of the Oaks Stakes at Epsom Downs Racecourse, in which she was ridden by Tony Murray, as the stable jockey, Willie Carson, had elected to ride Bireme.
Ridden by Willie Carson, she led for most of the race and drew away from her opponents in the straight to win by five length from North Forland.
[4] Bireme was injured in June, and Shoot A Line took her stable companion's place in the Irish Oaks at the Curragh Racecourse in July.
On her final appearance of the year, the filly returned to Yorkshire for the Park Hill Stakes over fourteen and a half furlongs at Doncaster Racecourse on 11 September.
She made a very disappointing seasonal debut in the John Porter Stakes at Newbury Racecourse in April, injuring herself in the starting stalls and being pulled-up in a race won by Pelerin.
The filly was then sent to Germany for the Grosser Preis von Berlin, but ran very poorly, finishing seventh of the eight runners behind French-trained Lydian.
[10] In 1980, Shoot A Line was given a rating of 127 by the independent Timeform organisation, equal with Bireme and Mrs Penny and four pounds below the top-rated three-year-old filly Detroit.
In the official International Classification she was rated equal with Mrs Penny as the best British-trained three-year-old filly, two pounds below the French-trained Detroit.