Former premiership-winning jockey Blake Shinn made a triumphant return to Sydney racing on Wednesday, riding a winning double at Canterbury.
A 12-month disqualification for illegal betting coupled with a slower than expected recovery from a broken leg kept the 24-year-old off the scene for almost 14 months.
Shinn made a dream start to his comeback at Sandown two weeks ago when he won on Tellora, a horse part-owned by his mother Carol and trained by his stepfather Lee Hope.
After spending Christmas and New Year with his family in Victoria, Shinn made his way back to Sydney, where he was champion rider in 2007/08, this week .
The second of his winners came on Mr Edison, trained by Bart Cummings with whom Shinn combined to win the 2008 Melbourne Cup on Viewed.
One race earlier he got on the board when he steered the John O’Shea-trained Tigress Lily to a comprehensive win.
“It’s good to get that out of the way. It’s great to come back on my first day a winner,” Shinn said.
“John O’Shea has been a great supporter of mine and when I came back he said he would give me opportunities.
“I have to make the most of those opportunities.
“It’s full steam ahead.”
Tigress Lily was among the favoured runners but Mr Edison had not won a race for more than a year until Shinn steered him through a gap and the horse sprinted clear.
Stable foreman James Cummings said the win was not entirely unexpected.
“With due respect to the opposition he was a fit horse against out of form milers,” he said.
“And it was a ten out of ten ride.”
Shinn came within a nose of riding a treble when Arms Length held off Satisfies in a 1250m handicap.
Ironically the winner was ridden by Shinn’s close friend Peter Robl who was disqualified at the same time for the same offence.
Shinn was found to be using the TAB account of Robl’s wife to place bets on horses, some of which he rode against in races.
Robl received a six-month ban for his betting activities but copped another six months for lying to the original inquiry as he tried to protect Shinn.
He has also made a success of his comeback with 15 winners in five weeks.
Among them have been victories for leading trainers and long-time supporters Clarry Conners and Anthony Cummings.
AAP TURF
