Two big guns will be back in the saddle soon bringing their own brand of considerable riding expertise to an already top-drawer line-up of jockeys in Australia.
Melbourne Cup winning jockey Blake Shinn, who has been based in Hong Kong for the last three seasons, has four rides at Moonee Valley on Saturday and he will have a real chance of making a bright start when he pilots the Danny O’Brien’s last start winner Hell Hath No Fury (currently quoted at $6.50) in the opener.
Later in the day, Shinn will be eyeing a feature race win in the Listed McKenzie Stakes, albeit aboard a $21 outsider in the form of the Anthony and Sam Freedman trained Latvian, who was a track and distance winner at his last start.
For his part, Cox Plate winning jockey John Allen, fresh from a two month break in Ireland, will also soon be raring to go and, although, he will have missed three weeks of the season, his ‘have saddle, will travel’ work ethic and his big stable support should again see him give a very spirited defence of the Victorian Jockey’s Premiership title he won last season.
It goes without saying that the return of two such accomplished riders adds a further dimension to the already highly competitive riding ranks in Australia where the jockey’s jostling for position leaves owners and trainers spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting riders for their runners.
