Superstar jockey Blake Shinn will go from riding great horses during the day to cheering one home on Saturday night.
Key contender Caulfield Cup contender Vauban for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott headlines Shinn’s rides on Saturday before he heads home to watch champion pacer Leap To Fame try to add the Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton to his amazing CV.
Shinn, part of one of harness racing’s most famous families, is no stranger to the sport of sulkies.
“I love it. When I was growing up as a kid, I’d spend every school holidays working at either Uncle Glen’s (Tippet) or Uncle Ken’s (Tippet) stables,” he said.
“I was right into it. I’d drive heaps of them in work and watch the races.”
Shinn’s great grandfather is the legendary Bill Shinn, a household name in SA harness racing in its golden era, but it’s through his mother Carol’s side, uncles Glen and Ken Tippet, where he got his taste for sport.
The first superstar horse Shinn heard about when he was five was a pacer, the Glen Tippet-trained Franco Tiger. He won the 1992 Miracle Mile, ran second in the Melbourne Inter Dominion final (to Westburn Grant) the same year and won a swag of other feature races.
“I’ve always sort of followed the trots since, especially the big races,” he said.
Shinn’s history in harness and love of great horses saw him take time out from a hectic Spring Carnival to visit Leap To Fame and his trainer-driver, Grant Dixon, at Toolern Vale earlier this week.
“They tell me he’s one of the best of all time … his record certainly says so,” Shinn said.
“It’s great to come out and see him and meet Grant, who’s done such a fantastic job with him season-after-season.
“I know everyone was shocked he got beaten last week, but we’ve seen before never to doubt a champion, whether it’s in the gallops or harness.
“I’ll be watching and cheering for him this week, hopefully after I’ve had a winner or two myself.”
Shinn won’t be the only big thoroughbred name watching Leap To Fame chase his 13th Group 1 win on Saturday.
Hall of Famer trainer John Hawkes, another leading trainer Mick Price and jockeys Tyler Schiller, Ben Thompson and Craig Newitt are other big fans.
“I’m heading to Melton again Saturday night,” Newitt said. “I took the family out to see him last time he was here. I love him.”
Thompson and his wife, Stephanie, recently visited Leap To Fame at Dixon’s Tambourine stables.
“If you’re a lover of sport, you’re in awe of greats of all types. It was a privilege to see him in the flesh and to meet Grant and Trista (Dixon, wife) recently,” Thompson said. “I’ll be tuning again this week.”
