Blake Shinn battles illness to extend lead over Craig Williams in Melbourne jockeys’ premiership

Blake Shinn may have been under the weather but he was on top of his game with a treble at Sandown that tightened his grip on the Melbourne jockeys’ premiership.

Blake Shinn riding Exit to victory at Sandown on Wednesday, one of his three winners for the meeting. Picture: Getty Images

Blake Shinn won’t be at his best at Flemington on Saturday but he could end Craig Williams’s hopes of beating him in the Melbourne jockeys’ premiership race.

Shinn finished second to Damian Lane in last year’s Melbourne jockeys’ premiership and his hopes of going one better this season slumped when he ruled himself out for the remainder of the season after sustaining a foot injury in May.

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Shinn suffered heavy bone bruising to his left foot but recovered quicker than expected, enabling him to return riding at Sandown on July 9.

But Shinn was off-colour at Wednesday’s Sandown meeting despite booting home a treble in the first five races.

“I don’t feel that well inside but I’m putting on a good face,” he said.

“I’m fit but I’m battling a virus so I don’t feel the best.

“I came back from a hot climate in Singapore and Phuket and coming back to the cold winter, I’ve picked up a bit of a bug.

“I don’t feel the best at the moment but hopefully I can shrug that off in about a week or so.

“I’d like to be feeling a bit better but that’s part and parcel of and you’ve got to keep turning up.”

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Shinn started Wednesday’s meeting four wins ahead of Williams but ended the day seven ahead after the latter failed to notch a victory on the eight-race card.

However, Williams has a numerical advantage over Shinn at Saturday’s Flemington meeting at which he has picked up a maximum eight rides.

It's @blake_shinn's world, we're just living in it 🙌

He brings up a treble on the Hillside track as Kira breaks her five-race placings run with a super finish 💪@FreedmanRacingpic.twitter.com/Oiz67Ag1iX

— Racing.com (@Racing) July 16, 2025

As senior riders, Williams and Shinn are ineligible to ride in Saturday’s Rising Stars Final, which is restricted to apprentices.

Williams’s book includes three opening favourites, including the odds-on pick Duchess Zou in the ATA Trust/TAB We’re On (1400m) and the $4 elect Muktamil in the Deane Lester Flemington Cup 1849 (2800m).

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Bookmakers rated Mr Verse ($3.80) and La Fracas ($3) as Shinn’s best chances of success at Flemington in the VRC Member Gerald Jongebloed Trophy (1700m) and VRC Member Colin Gilson Sprint (1200m) respectively.

Blake Shinn increased his title lead to seven after a treble at Sandown on Wednesday. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

Shinn said he had enjoyed battling with Williams but said he was looking no further ahead than his next ride, rather than the premiership.

“It’s a good battle,” Shinn said.

“I’ve been back a week now and it’s going to take a little bit to build the rides back up but I knew I’d be strong at the back end of the season.

“We all love Craig and what he does for the industry.

“He’s a great jockey and it’s good for the sport.

“It’s going down to the wire but my focus is on one meeting at a time and focusing on the job at hand.”

Four metropolitan meetings remained after Wednesday’s Sandown Hillside fixture.

Originally published as Blake Shinn battles illness to extend lead over Craig Williams in Melbourne jockeys’ premiership