Champion jockey Blake Shinn eyes Queensland Oaks with Molly Bloom

He’s already ridden her to a Group 2 victory in New Zealand, now Blake Shinn is hoping to nail an elusive fillies classic aboard the well-fancied Molly Bloom.

Champion jockey Blake Shinn has sights on a third Group 1 success in as many Saturdays in Brisbane.

Shinn moved to 29 career wins at the highest level last Saturday with a “very satisfying” Queensland Derby triumph aboard Warmonger.

He guided Bois D’Argent to an upset in the Doomben Cup a fortnight ago with a stellar frontrunning ride.

Shinn will on Saturday at Eagle Farm be reunited with Molly Bloom, the $4.80 second favourite with TAB in the Queensland Oaks.

He piloted the New Zealand filly, set to be transferred from Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott to Chris Waller after the Oaks, to victory in a Group 2 at Pukekohe last year.

Molly Bloom finished fifth second-up in key Oaks lead-up the Group 2 Roses last start at Doomben.

Scarlet Oak continues her rise to stardom and wins a great edition of the G2 Roses at Doomben, with @cwallerracing training the quinella!@[e-mail]/EGIvXMC2n5

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 25, 2024

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“She ran well in the Roses without much luck, she’s going to be hard to beat,” Shinn said.

“I’d like her on a bit firmer track, but she’s going to be right there, she’s a classy filly.

“It’s important she settles well to run the distance, the ride is going to be important on my behalf, but she’s got the ability to win, it would be nice to go three weeks in a row.”

Shinn has ridden 26 stakes winners this season to date, including a second Golden Slipper, and been desperately close on a number of occasions.

The fierce competitor has finished second in 10 Group 1s this season, including the Australian Derby, Coolmore Stud Stakes and Champions Stakes, and placed third in the Australian Cup, Epsom Handicap and Might And Power Stakes.

“It was a bit of a frustrating run there but a couple of Group 1s the last few weeks is very satisfying,” Shinn said.

“It all evens itself out a bit when you have a run of seconds and thirds, hopefully we’re on a bit of a streak now the drought is broken.

“Swings and roundabouts … hopefully it might be my turn to have a bit of a run.”

As the driving rain began to fall at Te Rapa this afternoon, Molly Bloom shone above her rivals once again in the Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic to score for Joe Doyle and @WexfordStables 🤩 pic.twitter.com/qqoMW7RaDD

— LOVERACING.NZ (@LOVERACINGNZ) February 10, 2024

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Shinn credited “good mentors in my team” for the consistency this season.

Staying out of the stewards’ room has also helped no end. An insatiable thirst to win led to careless riding and suspensions, which stalled Shinn’s progress the first 18 months back in Melbourne after three years in Hong Kong.

“It’s not easy trying to harness it all, obviously something is going right,” Shinn said.

“I’ve got some good people helping me and it’s going well … we worked through it, what we were doing wrong, reviewing everything, simple as that.

“We’re getting good books in Brisbane and have ridden winners in Sydney, Hong Kong, Perth. It’s not an overnight success, it’s the culmination of a lot of hard work and people helping me to achieve it.”

The Queensland Derby meant a lot, given it was Shinn’s first career success in a three-year-old classic.

“I really enjoyed that win, that was really good,” Shinn said.

“I’ve been knocking on the door in derbies and close … quite a few seconds.

“Derbies are hard to win, they’re great races, when you put a lot of thought and planning into races and you nail one, it’s very satisfying.”

Originally published as Champion jockey Blake Shinn eyes Queensland Oaks with Molly Bloom