BLAKE SHINN LANDS HIS HONG KONG GROUP 1 IN DRAMA FILLED HONG KONG SPRINT

By Darren Winningham | Sunday, December 12, 2021

There was a boilover in the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint when Blake Shinn claimed his first Group 1 victory aboard the Casper Fownes trained Sky Field beating home Christophe Soumillion on Resistencia and Joao Moreira on Courier Wonder.

The feature sprint race in Hong Kong was marred by a terrible fall as the horses came into the Sha Tin straight. Amazing Star, ridden by Lyle Hewiston from South Africa, broke down on the turn with a number horses behind him being caught up in the drama.

Australian and Hong Kong jockey Zac Purton (Lucky Patch) was among the jockeys who came down along with South African Lyle Hewitson (Amazing Star), Karis Teetan (Naboo Attack) and Yuichi Fukunaga (Pixie Knight).

Jockeys Purton, Hewitson and Fukunaga were taken to hospital by ambulance. Teetan was able to continue with his riding engagements.

Blake Shinn has been busy building relationships in his relatively short time in Hong Kong and has been riding regular winners over the past few months.

It is a wonderful achievement for Shinn who fought back from a serious neck injury in a barrier trial in August 2018 in Australia before getting the opportunity to go Hong Kong in August 2019.

A great win for Shinn and a wonderful testament to perseverance from a champion jockey.

After the race Shinn said, “All credit to Caspar Fownes, he’s given me the opportunity to ride this lovely animal over the previous season and this season.

“We’ve always had faith in him, but on the big stage things haven’t always gone this way. Today, he performed to his best and still beat a handy horse in chasing down a top-line horse in Courier Wonder and the Japanese horse.

“He’s a great horse and hopefully he can keep going forward.”

More articles