Jockey Blake Shinn is free to ride at the two day Scone Carnival on Friday and Saturday but is set to miss the Brisbane Winter Carnival after being suspended for six weeks by Racing New South Wales Stewards at Canterbury yesterday.
Shinn was found guilty of a charge of improper riding in that at the 1000m in the Thai Chay Benchmark 70 Handicap (1900m) he directed his mount, Halfwaytolondon, inwards making heavy contract with Brenton Avdulla’s mount Glenstal Abbey forcing him to be severely checked.
And again at the 800m Shinn moved in onto Avdulla’s mount causing him to be severely checked again off the heels of the leader Signoret.
Shinn is likely to appeal the six weeks suspension which commences on Monday, May 21 and expires on Monday, July 2, allowing him to ride at Scone on Friday and Saturday and also at the Randwick meeting on Sunday.
Fellow riders and Stewards had to calm Avdulla in the jockey’s room after the incident when Shinn returned before the inquiry was resumed in the stewards’ room.
Avdulla ended up running second to Kim Warrior on the $3 equal favourite Glenstal Abbey while Shinn wound up in sixth spot on $91 chance Halfwaytolondon.
Stewards told Shinn during the course of the inquiry that he had placed Avdulla in serious danger on two occasions by intentionally angling in onto his mount.
“I’d say it’s an act of God that he (Glenstal Abbey) didn’t clip heels,” acting chief steward Marc Van Gestel said during the inquiry.
Senior steward Greg Rudolph said that he had not seen Shinn ride in that manner before but the jockey told the inquiry that he was a very competitive rider but he had misjudged the incident in question.
“In terms of Blake Shinn’s riding style, it’s not something I can recall seeing from you since you’ve been in Sydney,” Rudolph said.
“I disagree,” Shinn replied.
“I’m a very competitive rider and I ride competitive all the time. Obviously I’ve misjudged it slightly here and I’ve got it wrong.”
“I’m not going to stop riding the way I am, I’ve just got to address certain issues with my riding in some areas.”
The 2008 Melbourne Cup winning jockey had only been back riding six months after serving a twelve month disqualification for betting and was working hard to get his riding career back on track and has ridden twenty-eight winners this season, fourteen of which were in the Sydney Metropolitan area.
Included in those wins were the Anthony Cummings trained Upbeat in the Group 2 $180,000 Autumn Classic (1800m) at Caulfield on February 25 and Skyerush for trainer Guy Walter in the Group 2 $175,000 Emancipation Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on April 28.
Shinn has a full book of rides on both days of the Scone Carnival and will be aboard Upbeat again in the $500,000 Inglis 3yo Guineas (1400m) for Cummings.
The three year old has had two barrier trials for his return to racing from a short break after pulling up lame when last of fourteen in the Bendigo Guineas (1400m) on March 17.
Upbeat in on the third line of betting at $11 behind Pampelone ($2.25) and Colorado Claire ($3.20) who are competing for favouritism.
