Blake Shinn and Tony Gollan will continue their highly successful partnership in the Doomben Cup

Champion jockey Blake Shinn will be free to ride Antino in the Group 1 Doomben Cup but he will miss this week’s Doomben 10,000.

Antino destroys his opposition in the Hollindale Stakes, with jockey Blake Shinn adopting daring tactics. Picture: Bethany Allday, Trackside Photography.

The dream team of Blake Shinn and Tony Gollan will continue their highly successful partnership after the champion jockey opted to serve his 10-day riding suspension this week.

It means the 37-year-old Shinn will be free to ride Queensland star Antino in the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) but he will miss out on jumping aboard last-start William Reid winner Schwarz for Saturday’s $1.5m Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1200m).

Shinn was suspended for careless riding on the Gollan-trained mare Torabella in Saturday’s Listed Silk Stocking on the Gold Coast.

Later that day on a heavy track, Shinn produced a pearl of a ride on Antino to blitz his rivals in the $500,000 Group 2 Hollindale Stakes over 1800m, winning by 3.5 lengths from Fawkner Park and Kovalica.

READ: ATC tees off on golf course race plan for Penrith

It was a similar stunning effort to last spring when Shinn’s daring tactics on Antino paid off handsomely as he came from last to demolish the field by 6.5 lengths in the $1m Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield.

• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet’s team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Shinn’s first race on Queensland’s star horse was in October 2023 when he won the Group 3 Sandown Stakes over 1500m.

The star jockey has only once finished out of the placings on Antino from eight rides and that was in the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile (1600m) at Sha Tin last December when the gelding was badly checked in the straight before crossing the post in 11th spot.

“They get along with each other and they trust each other,” Gollan told Radio TAB on Sunday of the Shinn-Antino combination.

“Blake really knows what this horse can deliver when he asks certain things of him and his Toorak ride will be remembered long after I’m finished in racing.

“The Hollindale Stakes will be pretty similar I’d suggest, it was a hell of a win.

Blake Shinn after Antino destroyed his opposition in the Hollindale Stakes Trackside Photography.

“They’re a great combination. We’ve missed out on Blake a couple of times through suspension … so I’m really grateful that he took the suspension straight away so he can ride him in the Doomben Cup.”

Rosemont Stud co-owner Anthony Mithen said it was disappointing that Shinn chose to serve his suspension this week rather than on Doomben Cup week, ruling him out of the Doomben 10,000 ride on the John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained Schwarz.

The Doomben 10,000 will be Schwarz’s final race before he is retired to stud.

READ: ‘Couldn’t hear them coming’: Beadman brilliant in 8L demolition

“It’s disappointing he chose to ride on the following weekend but to be fair, I’m not sure his last ride on the horse he really got on that well with him anyway,” Mithen said.

“We will find a more-than-suitable replacement and let the horse do the business.

“He could not be going better so we are delighted with where he is at.”

Shinn won the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) on Schwarz at The Valley in January but finished last out of 10 runners on the stallion in the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 8.

Jamie Mott rode Schwarz to victory in his last-start, the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at The Valley on March 22.

Originally published as Blake Shinn and Tony Gollan will continue their highly successful partnership in the Doomben Cup