A Group One win is a triumph for any jockey but the Coolmore Classic on Appearance has an even deeper meaning for Blake Shinn.
His 2008 Melbourne Cup victory on Viewed became a distant memory when he was disqualified in late 2010 for betting offences and his gambling addiction was exposed.
Recent health problems forced him out of the saddle for several weeks just as he was getting on a roll but on Saturday his hard work paid off when the Darley mare won out in a tight photo finish.
One of several fillies and mares Darley send to be trained outside Peter Snowden’s Crown Lodge team, Appearance is prepared by Guy Walter, one of Shinn’s biggest supporters.
“You have got to be prepared to cop the knocks and you’ve got to work twice as hard to get back,” Shinn said.
“I’ve worked hard, I’ve taken my time and given it 110 per cent.
“It’s all come together.
“It was my first Group One for Guy Walter who has given me unbelievable support.
“I do most of the riding for him and he and his wife Wendy are just great people. It just means so much.”
Shinn got the ride on Appearance when Darley’s No.1 jockey Kerrin McEvoy missed the race through suspension.
McEvoy is likely to be aboard when Appearance runs in the Queen Of The Turf but Shinn has proved he can once gain be a headline act in Sydney racing for all the right reasons.
