Blake Shinn Blake Shinn (born 26 September 1987) is an Australian jockey, who rode the 2008 Melbourne Cup winner on Viewed for trainer Bart Cummings. Shinn grew up in Kilmore, Victoria being born to a family of saddlers. He was the winner of the Racing Victoria Limited 2005 Scobie Breasley Medal. On Melbourne Cup day 2010, Blake Shinn missed his ride in the cup on Precedence, after a fall in Race 3 at Flemington resulted in him being taken to hospital. He was replaced by James Winks. On March 19, 2016 Blake won the Golden Slipper at Rosehill race course in Sydney on Capitalist. 'EARLY CAREER Apprentice to Lee Hope Born to a family of jockeys, Blake Shinn is the son of the late champion apprentice jockey Gerald Shinn. It was his stepfather Lee Hope who encouraged his love of racing. From a young age, Hope encouraged Shinn to explore a variety of sports inside and out of racing. When Shinn told his stepfather he'd like to become a jockey, Hope immediately stepped into help mentor the teenager and soon signed Shinn as his apprentice. "I was pretty fortunate to have a father-figure who would take me to the races and point things out and was always there for advice when I went through that bad patch of being suspended for being taken over-keen. Lee was always there to set me straight," Shinn tole The Age in 2008. Entering his first race in May 2003 aboard Suavette, it didn't take Shinn long to get a winner. Thirteen starts into his career, he walked into the winner's circle at Kilmore aboard Clearly Unique for trainer Dennis Berryman. Shinn quickly became one of the most talked about young jockeys, winning his first double on a card in June 2003 at Echuca, the riding his first city double nine months later in February 2004, two months after he won his first city race.FIRST STAKES WINNERSOn 13 November 2004 Shinn rode his first ever group winner when partnering with Count Ricardo for the first time. Riding for trainer Stephen Theodore, Count Ricardo an Shinn won the Group 2 Shannons Sandown Classic by 2.25 lengths. Shinn's first Group 1 winner cam aboard Demerger in the Adelaide Cup in 2005 at 17 years of age when he was still an apprentice. He is believed to be the youngest jockey to win the race since its first running in 1864. The win came almost exactly two years after his first race ride in May 2003. 'SCOBIE BREASLEY and the MELBOURNE PREMIERSHIPShinn battled with fellow apprentice Nicholas Ryan for the Victorian Metropolitan Jockeys' Premiership during the 2004/2005 season. In the end he'd come in second but made history as the first apprentice ever to win the prestigious Scobie Breasley Medal. He battled for the award with Ryan, beating him 59 points to 55. It was the first time the award had been voted on solely by Racing Victoria stewards. Shinn was presented the award by 91-year-old Scobie Breasley.SYDNEY MOVE Gai Waterhouse In April 2007, Shinn moved to Sydney to become stable jockey for Gai Waterhouse. The move proved to be a smart one, with a Sydney premiership added to his resume during the 2007/2008 season - his first year with Waterhouse. That season included the mount on Waterhouse-trained Sebring, who Shinn rode five of his six races. Shinn was suspended during the colt's Group 1 Golden Slipper victory but back aboard a week later to win the Group 1 Sires' Produce Stakes. Shinn continued his association with the Waterhouse stable the following season, winning 26 races with the