Blake Shinn nearing riding return

Star jockey Blake Shinn says he is now only weeks away from returning to race riding after spending almost eight months recovering from the horrific leg injury he suffered in a fall at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day.

Shinn sustained a severe compound fracture to his left leg in the accident and underwent surgery to have a metal rod and screws inserted to stabilise the injury.

The multiple Group 1-winning rider has since completed months of rehabilitation and is now back riding trackwork as he builds towards a return to competitive racing.

Speaking on SENTrack and RSN’s Giddy Up, Shinn explained the seriousness of the injury meant there was no possibility of returning sooner.

“I couldn’t have come back sooner. It’s quite a complex injury. I broke the tibia and the fibula in my left leg. It was a compound fracture,” Shinn said.

“Initially, not really knowing how bad the injury was and how long it takes for this type of injury to get back, I thought I’d be back in a few months, but then I realised that it was going to take a lot longer than that.

“They take six months plus to come back. So, we’re at eight months now, and I’m probably a month off riding. We’re not far off now.”

The 28-time Group 1-winning jockey has already been medically cleared to resume riding trackwork and revealed he has partnered more than 100 horses in training since receiving the green light.

While Shinn is targeting a return to race riding towards the end of July, he said there is no intention to rush the final stages of his recovery.

With his rehabilitation nearing completion, one of Australia’s premier jockeys is on track to make a welcome return ahead of the spring carnival.