A gusty afternoon at Canterbury held no fears for Blake Shinn who threw caution to the wind with a daring front-running ride aboard Eye The World.
On a day when most jockeys were looking for cover in the run, Shinn adopted catch-me-if-you-can tactics on the six-year-old and was rewarded when Eye The World held on to win Wednesday’s NSWROA Celebrates 50 Years Handicap (1550m).
“It was a good win, especially given the fact we’ve got very windy conditions out there and given that he’s made his own luck and had to do it from start to finish,” Shinn said.
“I knew I was on a hard-fit horse who was an on-pace style of runner and I knew the wind factor was out there but I had to do the best by my horse.”
Shinn pinched the race just before the home turn when he raced to a six-length lead and the $2.80 favourite had enough in the tank to score by 1-3/4 lengths from Colour Of Money with Thurston another 2-1/4 lengths away third.
Trained by David Hayes and Tom Dabernig, Eye The World gave Shinn a double after he took out the second event on the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Barood, a full brother to four-time Group One winner Starspangledbanner.
