Suspension will cost Blake Shinn the chance to win the final Group One race of the season, but the jockey won’t be losing any sleep.
Fresh from a winner from at Rosehill on Saturday, Shinn will head to England to experience the Royal Ascot meeting for the first time.
Brook Road
“I’ve been to Newmarket before but this will be my first visit to Royal Ascot,” Shinn said.
“I’m going to spend the week there cheering on our horses. The Aussies will be out in force.”
Fellow Sydney jockey Glyn Schofield will also head to the Royal meeting where he will watch his son Chad ride Criterion in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes on Wednesday.
Shinn’s win on the Kris Lees-trained Brook Road took his season tally to 81-1/2 and within sight of the Sydney title.
Hugh Bowman is on 82 while reigning premier James McDonald (88-1/2) is spending the next few weeks riding for Godolphin in Europe.
Lees gave Brook Road a break after two starts in the autumn when she failed to perform to expectations.
She showed she was back to her best when she pounced from midfield to win the Benchmark 85 (1100m) by 1-1/2 lengths from Wonderbolt.
“Something was not right with her earlier this year so we gave her a break,” Lees said.
“She showed what she can do today. We will look at the Ramornie Handicap at Grafton but they can get firm tracks which she doesn’t like.”
There was a sad postscript to the race when Port Macquarie mare Nuclear Class collapsed and died after finishing a long last.
Racing NSW chief veterinarian Craig Suann said the initial diagnosis was a heart attack.
Premier Sydney trainer Chris Waller is already in England to oversee the Diamond Jubilee Stakes preparation of Brazen Beau but the stable kept the winners flowing with success in three states.
Black Jag won at Flemington while Reigning won the 2000m race at Rosehill from which stablemate Danchai was scratched in favour of the Ipswich Cup.
It was a winning move with Danchai winning the Listed Cup (2150m) in a tight finish over Banca Mo.
