Tony McEvoy has engaged Sydney-based Blake Shinn to ride Blue Diamond Stakes favourite Jimando who resumes in Saturday’s Chairman’s Stakes at Caulfield.
The trainer is looking to Shinn to partner the colt in both the Blue Diamond and the Golden Slipper in April.
Shinn, who won the 2007-08 Sydney premiership and the 2008 Melbourne Cup on Viewed, has made a successful comeback to riding since returning on December 21 from a 12 month ban for betting offences.
The 24-year-old has not ridden for McEvoy before but the trainer says he is looking for a jockey who has been successful riding in both Sydney and Melbourne.
“I’ve elected Blake to ride him for a couple of reasons,” McEvoy said.
“Firstly he is a top class rider of course and secondly he’s very effective in both Melbourne and Sydney.
“All being well with the horse we’ll go to Sydney for the Golden Slipper after the Blue Diamond.”
The Commands colt is $5 favourite for the $1 million Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 25 after his form was franked by The Travelling Man who led all the way to win the Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) for colts and geldings at Caulfield last Thursday.
The Travelling Man had run fourth to Jimando in the Debutants Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield in October.
That effort, when Jimando defeated Princeton Miss by 3-3/4 lengths with Nash Rawiller aboard, was his only trip to the races so far.
He is topweight with 58kg under the set weights plus penalties conditions of the Listed 1100m event which attracted 24 nominations.
“I’m really looking forward to it. Hopefully he can put it together like he did in October,” McEvoy said.
“He’s had a jump out at home just to remind him of what to do and he did it all very well.
“So that was most pleasing.”
McEvoy has saddled up two stakeswinning juveniles so far this season, the other being Merson Cooper Stakes winner Maximus Moonard who was subsequently sold to Hong Kong.
“I am really thrilled with the way they have performed. I’m really proud of my two-year-olds,” he said.
“The offer for Maximus Moonard was too good to refuse so we sold him.”
Shinn has also picked up the ride on the Matthew Dale-trained Unanimously in the Listed W J Adams Stakes (1000m) and I Think I Do in a 1400m open handicap for master trainer Bart Cummings.
Not A Single Doubt four-year-old Unanimously was ridden by Tommy Berry last start when he won the Canterbury Classic (1100m) under lights on January 12.
AAP TURF
