Blake Shinn holds off Craig Williams to win 2024-25 Melbourne jockeys’ premiership

The last metropolitan race of the season turned out to be a metaphor of Craig Williams’ Melbourne jockeys’ premiership battle with his great mate and rival Blake Shinn.

Craig Williams (left) congratulates Blake Shinn on winning the Victorian metropolitan jockeys' premiership at Sandown yesterday. Picture: Vince Caligiuri / Getty Images

The last metropolitan race of the season turned out to be a metaphor of the Melbourne jockeys’ premiership battle for champion rider Craig Williams.

Williams put up a strong fight in the last months of the season but was unable to reel in reigning Scobie Breasley Medallist Blake Shinn, missing the opportunity to join record holder Damien Oliver on 10 Melbourne jockeys’ premierships.

Shinn led Williams by seven wins at the start of Wednesday’s Sandown meeting but neither rider added to their tally on the final metropolitan race day of 2024/25.

Williams had eight rides at Sandown but was narrowly denied a consolation win in the last race when his mount Makdane was shaded on the line by $41 outsider Superstock.

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Shinn finished the season on 74 wins to Williams’ 67 but the latter topped the Melbourne prizemoney tally with his 381 mounts reaping more than $12.9m on city tracks.

Daniel Stackhouse was third on 48 wins.

Shinn’s premiership triumph was his third in Melbourne while he is the only jockey to have won Melbourne and Sydney jockey’s titles, winning the Sydney crown in 2007/08.

Shinn will also claim the Victorian Jockeys’ Premiership, which includes metropolitan and provincial wins after Thursday’s season finale at Sale.

What a way to finish an incredible season by securing the 24/25 Metropolitan title here in Melbourne.

This result reflects 12 months of sacrifice and relentless hard work, made possible by the unwavering support of the exceptional team around me.

A sincere thank you to the… pic.twitter.com/zHInHH96L6

— Blake Shinn (@blake_shinn) July 30, 2025

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The all-powerful Ciaron Maher stable took out the Melbourne trainers’ premiership with 113 wins, 44 ahead of the Ben, Will and JD Hayes team.

Maher also won the national trainers’ premiership with 329½ wins, 52½ in front of Chris Waller.

Young jockey Tom Prebble emulated his father Brett when he claimed the Melbourne apprentices’ title by one win over Jaylah Kennedy.

Brett Prebble won the Melbourne apprentices’ crown in the mid-1990s before embarking on a stellar career that included more than 500 wins in Hong Kong and the 2012 Melbourne Cup on Green Moon.

Originally published as Blake Shinn holds off Craig Williams to win 2024-25 Melbourne jockeys’ premiership