Jockey Blake Shinn has achieved his first elite-level success since recovering from a serious leg injury, as Saintly Dancer made all the running to claim the Thousand Guineas at Caulfield.
Shinn sustained a fractured leg in a fall during last year’s Melbourne Cup and made his return to race riding at the commencement of the current season.
After being narrowly beaten aboard Changing Colours, a horse owned by his partner Lucy Yeoman, in the Toorak Handicap last week, Shinn delivered a superb ride on Saintly Dancer to secure the 1600m Group 1 contest for fillies on Saturday.
Saintly Dancer, trained by Ciaron Maher, took the lead from barrier four and held off stablemate Icelady by 1-¼ lengths, with the $3.70 favourite Regal Ambition a length further back in third.
“This is my first Group 1 since I’ve been back,” Shinn declared.
“It certainly hasn’t been an easy road, but you just keep turning up and put the work in and you get repaid with a big winner here today.
“It’s all worth it and I just want to thank everyone who’s supported me and my circle and outside too for that matter.
“The racing industry has been wonderful so it’s nice to come back on a big day and show what we’re made of.”
Saintly Dancer has made rapid progress through the racing grades. She was narrowly beaten on debut at Geelong in the final start of her two-year-old year before going on to win at Sandown.
Saintly Dancer finished second to Icelady in the Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) last month, before stamping her credentials with an imposing six-length win at Flemington two weeks prior.
The filly was purchased for $100,000 at the Gold Coast sales and is now a Group 1 winner.
“It’s a dream,” said Jack Turnbull, the National Assistant Trainer for Ciaron Maher Racing.
“It’s what it’s all about and gives everyone every chance to get into a racehorse.
“The journey that she has taken us on, and First Light, has been amazing so far.
“She’s been lightly raced, she will get further and strengthen up further and will get better. She’s a little more street wise as we’ve raced her and trained her.
“It’s the beauty of training and managing young horses, you don’t know their ceiling.
“You take them away and you don’t know what level they will get to but it’s really great and it’s great with our system that we can nurture them through.
“We had four in the race and we quinella it. That’s what it’s simply all about.”
Turnbull praised the ride of Shinn, who has a solid association with the Maher stable. “He’s got a very good clock and is a big-time player,” Turnbull commented.
“He has a good affiliation with our stable since his return to race riding and with Tim and First Light.
“He nailed it on the day and it was well deserved.”
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