Four-time Scobie winner Blake Shinn sets Group 1 goals
The champion jockey completed a Scobie Breasley award hat-trick on Saturday night — crowned Victoria's best rider for a third straight season and fourth overall after winning it for the first time in 2005.
Shinn chased a lofty goal to ride 200 winners last season in Victoria and remained on track until a heel injury setback in late May halted the progress.
He returned in July and finished on 146 winners, including 74 metropolitan successes.
Shinn rode three Group 1 winners last season, but only one in Melbourne — the Toorak Handicap aboard Queensland star Antino.
The 31-time Group 1 winner, including the 2008 Melbourne Cup aboard Viewed for the late great Bart Cummings, is determined to build on the tally.
'I set the goal to try and win 200 (races) last year,' Shinn said.
'We were on track and we had the hiccup, which set me back … I would've gone close.
'I'll try and focus more on the Group 1s (this season) and target that.
'I want to be a bit more careful with my work ethic because it is quite demanding on your body going to a lot of the provincial meetings.
'I'm not saying I won't go to them because I will, but it is very demanding the work.
'It definitely paid dividends, but this season the goalposts will change and hopefully that will pay dividends.'
BLAKE SHINN, WHAT A RIDE! 😱
ANTINO LOOPS THE FIELD AND DESTROYS THEM IN THE TOORAK! @blake_shinn @tonygollan pic.twitter.com/ihAlzKrkSj
— 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) October 12, 2024
Despite all the success last season, including a second metropolitan premiership in three seasons and milestone 2000th career winner, Shinn rated the win on Burlington Gate on February 27, the day trainer Michael Moroney died, as his most special moment.
'Mike had a profound impact on a lot of people in the industry and he had a profound impact on me,' an emotional Shinn said.
'To honour his legacy on that day, the day he passed, definitely was a highlight.'
Fierce competitor and professional Shinn, a model of consistency, has dominated the Victorian riding ranks since he returned home from Hong Kong three years ago.
'There's some brilliant jockeys in Melbourne,' Shinn said.
'Craig Williams, Mark Zahra, Jamie Melham, the list goes on.
'I didn't really know what to expect when I came back but I grafted away and did my best.
'What we've been able to achieve is really special, it's a testament to our hard work really.
'You can never feel content, I'm never a person to feel content with what I've done.
'There's always something to try and achieve and strive to get better.
'We'll keep working and hopefully we can keep getting better, I feel I've got a lot to improve on and we'll keep getting better … but to accomplish what I have in Melbourne, I'm pretty happy with that.'
Shinn attributed his success to a close-knit support network, most notably his partner Lucy Yeomans and manager Liam Prior.
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