Melbourne Cup winning jockey Blake Shinn’s Spring Carnival is looking grim after the headline jockey fractured two vertebrae in his neck after suffering a fall in a Randwick barrier trial this morning.
Blake Shinn, above, has suffered a neck injury after a fall in a Randwick barrier trial. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.
Shinn was dislodged from the Les Bridge trained Pacific Legend around the 650m mark in Heat 10 for the colts and gelding Maiden horses over 1045m.
Shinn was initially suffering from concussion as well as a sore neck and back and was taken immediately to the Prince Of Wales Hospital in Sydney.
A more thorough examination revealed that Shinn had fractured his C1 and C3 vertebrae and will be on the sidelines for the beginning of the 2018 Spring Carnival.
Following a successful apprenticeship, Shinn shot into the spotlight with his win on the Bart Cummings trained Viewed in the 2008 Group 1 $5.6m Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
Shinn has been one of the most sort after jockeys riding in Sydney and last racing season finished second on the Sydney metropolitan jockey’s premiership with eighty winners, twelve behind the season’s top jockey Brenton Avdulla with ninety-two wins.
Shinn rode five Group 1 winners during the recently completed 2017 – 2018 racing with three wins on the Pat Webster trained Happy Clapper in the 2017 $1m Epsom Handicap and the 2018 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile both over the Randwick Mile as well as 2018 $500,000 Bisley Workwear Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick.
The talented rider was also successful on the Chris Waller trained Who Shot Thebarman in the Group 1 $2m Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick on day two of The Championships and on the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Prompt Response in the Group 1 $500,000 Sky Racing Tattersall’s Club Tiara (1350m) at Doomben during the 2018 Queensland Winter Racing Carnival.
Shinn had earlier in the day partnered Happy Clapper into fourth spot in a 1250m barrier trial won by the Chris Waller trained Mister Sea Wolf.
Racing New South Wales realised the following statement referring to the progress of Shinn.
“He is stable at Prince of Wales Hospital but is having more tests now checking for other damage,” the statement read.
