Blake Shinn has taken a few days off from Sydney racing to prepare for an important overseas assignment.
This year’s Golden Slipper winning jockey, Shinn is in Hong Kong to get acquainted with Helene Happy Star who he rides in Sunday’s QEII Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin.
Shinn rode the John Moore-trained horse in a work-out on the all-weather track at Sha Tin on Monday morning.
“I rode in Sydney on Saturday and I decided to take the week off in Australia to come here and get a feel for the place and help with my preparation,” Shinn told the Hong Kong Jockey club.
“I had a feel of Helene Happy Star this morning and hopefully that will help me and stand me in good stead for the weekend.
“He’s a big powerful horse – a big strong horse with a great action and a very long stride. He’s got very good credentials. He’s got good form lines behind Designs On Rome and I’m very lucky to get the opportunity to ride such a quality animal.”
The QEII Cup meeting will be Shinn’s second experience of Hong Kong racing after he rode in three races at last month’s Hong Kong Derby meeting.
“Derby day here was a great experience,” he said.
“That was my first time riding here in Hong Kong. That 2000 metres start is a bit of a tricky one and the Derby was a highly-pressured race, so it was great to get that experience.
“Every race I have in Hong Kong I’m only going to learn and get better.”
Australian QEII Cup representative Rising Romance was not asked to do much in the rain, enjoying an easy canter on the all-weather surface.
Buffering, the Al Quoz Sprint winner who runs in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize on Sunday week, also had a leisurely work-out in the wet.
Fellow Australian sprinter Chautauqua is scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
