A seven meeting suspension incurred at Canterbury on Wednesday has dealt Blake Shinn’s Sydney jockeys’ premiership aspirations a crucial blow.
Just two days after premiership leader James McDonald touched down in the UK to ride for Godolphin over the northern hemisphere summer, Shinn has left himself a task after being outed for careless riding.
McDonald had established a 6-1/2 win advantage prior to his departure but with seven weeks still to run on the 2014/15 season, Shinn and Hugh Bowman are set to fight it out for the title.
Ironically, the second-placed Bowman copped a suspension of his own at Doomben last Saturday which had Shinn in pole position to re-claim the lead.
However on the third race of the Canterbury program, Shinn was summoned into the stewards room after winning aboard the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Thud.
Stewards determined that Shinn had allowed his mount to shift out on the home turn when not clear of the Gerald Ryan-trained Beaudragon.
A seven meeting suspension was handed down, set to begin this Sunday and expire on Friday June 26, meaning Shinn will miss the final Group I meeting of the season – Tattersall’s Tiara day at the Gold Coast on June 20.
Shinn’s guilty plea allowed him a small reduction on the penalty but with Bowman due back from his suspension on June 19, the midweek meeting at Canterbury on June 24 could see Bowman’s 1-1/2 win lead extended.
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Tom Walter