Jockey Blake Shinn knows all too well that the Cox Plate (2040m) demands greatness — and he believes Antino might just be the horse to deliver it.

Australia’s premier weight-for-age contest will be run at Moonee Valley for the last time on its current track layout this Saturday, and Shinn is confident his mount can rise to the occasion. Having narrowly missed out on Cox Plate glory aboard Humidor in 2017, when almost toppling the mighty Winx, the experienced rider is eager to go one better.

“This race really has everything year after year,” Shinn said. “There is always a great story about it and there is so much history about it. It is what we call the weight-for-age championship of our sport at 2000 metres. It is the best of the best and hopefully me and Antino can come out on top. I think he’s a horse that deserves all the accolades, but it won’t be easy with the reigning champion Via Sistina, but I feel he’s good enough to do it.”

Shinn isn’t worried about the perceived lack of tempo in this year’s race, noting that Antino’s adaptability allows him to craft his own winning run. “Antino, he is quite adaptable. He has got a turn of foot. He’s not a one-paced horse,” he said. “He has that ability to make a mid-race move and he can sustain a really long run when I need him to do it. He’s now at a fitness level where I can make two runs on him, if need be, but I won’t be able to assess that until I get out there and get the feel of the race.”

Antino’s explosive Toorak Handicap (1600m) triumph last year stamped him as an elite performer, and while he’s yet to win this campaign, his form lines remain strong. Shinn was particularly taken by his most recent effort in the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington, where he finished runner-up.

“His run in the Turnbull, in my opinion was incredible,” Shinn said. “He had a kilo more than Sir Delius, two, three and four kilos more than the opposition in that race. He covered ground and was right there to the end. It was the run of a genuine weight-for-age horse and that’s set him up well for this test on Saturday. It all comes down to luck in running, circumstances and hopefully we can give him a smooth passage, and he gets his opportunity and with a bit of luck he’s good enough. You need a champion to win this race and hopefully Antino can prove to be one.”

As one of Queensland’s brightest stars, Antino now faces the ultimate test at The Valley — a chance for redemption, recognition, and possibly a Cox Plate crown.