Blake Shinn is looking forward to Sunday’s (24 April) HK$20 million Audemars Piguet QEII Cup (2000m), so much so that he arrived at Sha Tin a week ahead of the Group 1 feature, in which he will partner the John Moore-trained Helene Happy Star.
The Australian ace touched down in Hong Kong yesterday (Sunday, 17 April) and was on hand this morning to partner his big-race mount through a rain and dirt-spattered spin on the all-weather track.
“I rode in Sydney on Saturday and I decided to take the week off in Australia to come here and get a feel for the place and help with my preparation,” said Shinn. “I had a feel of Helene Happy Star this morning and hopefully that will help me and stand me in good stead for the weekend.”
Helene Happy Star scored a wet ground victory at the track in last season’s HKG3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2400m) and posted a career best effort in February when a high-class second to Designs On Rome in the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m). The talented five-year-old is aiming to bounce back from a below-par last of 10 in a Happy Valley Class 1 handicap last start, a run Shinn believes should be written off.
“He’s a big powerful horse, a big strong horse with a great action and a very long stride. You can forgive him his last run but his form before that is very good. He’s got very good credentials, he’s got good form lines behind Designs On Rome and I’m very lucky to get the opportunity to ride such a quality animal.”
Sunday will be Shinn’s second Hong Kong race-riding experience. The Melbourne Cup winner debuted at Sha Tin in March when his three rides included a 10th place finish in the HKG1 BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) atop the Moore-trained White Magic.
“Derby day here was a great experience,” said Shinn. “That was my first time riding here in Hong Kong. That 2000 metres start is a bit of a tricky one and the Derby was a highly-pressured race, so it was great to get that experience. I was on a bit of a longshot but it gave me a feel for the start and how they run the races in Hong Kong. I’ve come back here this week, the race is the same distance and I’m looking forward to the challenge. Every race I have in Hong Kong I’m only going to learn and get better.”
Shinn is open to the idea of making Hong Kong his base in the future should the opportunity arise.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to ride in Hong Kong,” he said. “I’ve watched the races since I was about 15 years old and always followed the Australian jockeys like Craig Williams and Darren Beadman, who were two of my idols, and I’ve followed Zac Purton and Brett Prebble. It’s just whether I get the opportunity and hopefully one day I will. If it does happen one day I will be very proud to represent my country here.”
