Aussie Jockey Shinn Set to Debut at Arlington

Here for a five-week working holiday, Australian jockey Blake Shinn will likely pick up his first U.S. mounts Saturday at Arlington Park. Though here for just a short time, he hopes the experience will help him become a better jockey and give him the sort of exposure that could lay the foundation for future trips to the U.S., perhaps even a permanent one.

“I got offered this opportunity by Wesley Ward to come over here and it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a dream come true,” Shinn said. “I've always wanted to ride in America. I am sure I will learn a lot. You can always learn something by traveling to different countries and learning from the best riders. Though I'll only be here a short time, I know there are some fantastic riders here and I'll be looking to pick their brains and watch and absorb the American style and take as much away from my time here as I can.”

Shinn, 29, is among the top riders in Australia and his accomplishments include a win in the 2008 G1 Melbourne Cup and the 2016 G1 Golden Slipper. He is based in Sydney and, with Australia now entering its winter, there is a lull in the racing schedule there. Ward reached out to Shinn and recommended that he come to the U.S. for a few weeks and promised that he would give him mounts.

“He's an outstanding individual, just a genuine person,” Ward said. “He's the type of guy you want to help. You look at his accomplishments in his homeland and his talent goes without saying. He expressed an interest in coming over here and with all he has going for him, I thought this is someone I wanted to get behind.”

Ward first met Shinn in 2008 when he came to the U.S. for three weeks and worked horses for the trainer at Keeneland.

“I was the stable rider for Gai Waterhouse at the time and she sent me on a working holiday for about three weeks to Keeneland and with her association with Wesley, she thought it would be a good idea that I go to work for him and learn,” Shinn explained.

With racing on the decline at Arlington and with purses there among the smallest in the nation, the Chicagoland track might seem like an odd choice for Shinn to make his base. But Ward said choosing Arlington was his idea and that he thought it was a place where Shinn could get opportunities to ride decent mounts. Ward lined Shinn up with agent Steve Leving, who also handles the business for Arlington's leading rider Jose Valdivia, Jr.

“I wanted to pick a place for him where he'd have the best chance to show people what he can do,” Ward said. “Should he have come to Belmont and then Saratoga? Probably not. There, he'd just get on 10-1, 15-1 shots and be in the back of the pack and nobody would see him. Steve is one of my best friends in the world and he has revitalized Jose Valdivia's career. That's his only rider and he always has multiple trainers asking him to put his rider on their horses in the same race. Now he's got Blake to offer to them as an option. If he gets lucky and he clicks and all the magic starts happening, I think trainers all over the country will start watching him.”

Ward, who races at numerous tracks, said he will also be giving mounts to Shinn on some of the horses he ships out of his base at Keeneland in the coming weeks. He said it's likely the jockey will be given some assignments for him at Belmont.

Shinn said he would like to return to the U.S. at some point after he's done riding here for the five weeks, but isn't sure when or where that will be or for how long.

“I hope to come back and that this is something I can build on for the future,” Shinn said. “Australia will always be home. But you never know. America is a place that I'd like to keep coming back to. I know some great people here and, hopefully, I can do well during this five-week stint and then see what happens.”

He said another goal is to prove that Australian jockeys can hold their own against the best in the world.

“Not many Aussie jockeys have been here before and it's great to be here representing Australia,” Shinn said. “Hopefully, I can do well and showcase what talented riders we've got back at home.”