Three jockeys, two Australian and one Canadian, walk into a London pub … Already you will be smiling or groaning, depending on your view of one of the most divisive subjects in horse racing. Yes, it’s Shergar Cup time again, an occasion for gathering up some of the best riders from around the world and making them strike silly poses with cheerleaders.
This time, racing hacks are disappointed to find the cheerleaders are resting up for the event itself on Saturday but the compensation is that the promotional posing takes place in a bar, specifically the Sydney Arms in Chelsea, part-owned (we are told) by the trainer Richard Hannon Jr, where the TVs are tuned to the racing each afternoon.
But now it’s morning, so the cricket is on and as the jockeys pour pints for the cameras, many a barbed comment is aimed at the Australians among them, Kerrin McEvoy and Blake Shinn. Emma-Jayne Wilson, the Ontario-born star of last year’s Shergar Cup, isn’t quite getting it. “Where are the bases?” she says.
This is her fourth time taking part in the Ascot contest, while McEvoy is also familiar to British racing fans from his five years here with Godolphin. Shinn’s is the new face, he having made headlines here on two memorable occasions: when he won the Melbourne Cup on Viewed in 2008 and when his breeches fell down late in a race at Canterbury in April.
Understandably, mention of the last incident elicits a polite but cold response from Shinn, who would much rather be known for his achievements. These are considerable, his 12-year career including a stack of big-race successes. During the season recently completed, he won more races in Australia than any other rider. More surprisingly, mention of Viewed also gets an equivocal reaction. Shinn’s face is grave as he says: “That was a great experience, winning the Cup, that’s every rider’s dream. Maybe I was a bit young, 21. You probably take things a bit for granted when you’re young.
“I’ve had a few ups and downs since then but I certainly appreciate everything I have now. Like last year, I won five Group Ones and now I’m starting to really get back to where I was when I won the Cup. I was flying when I won the Melbourne Cup and since then I went down.”
Why? “Just immaturity. I was young and silly. Life’s a rollercoaster, it’s a journey. Now I’ve had the last two or three years, I’ve worked hard, really hard and the last 18 months, it’s been good. And now the opportunities are starting to come.”
“Ups and downs” is an allusion to a betting scandal which resulted in Shinn and another rider being banned for 2011. Shinn backed horses he rode, horses he rode against and bet on other sports, one report suggesting he staked more than A$1m, or around £470,000. He admitted a gambling problem and sought counselling before being readmitted to the sport late that year.
“It was a tough time for myself and my family,” he reflects now. “I dealt with it. I had the help of various people and worked closely with some psychologists to deal with the problem. I’ve overcome it with the support of a lot of people. I’m very thankful for the support and there was no one more disappointed than myself. But it’s made me a lot better person and a lot better rider. The racing authorities, the public, everyone has got to be assured. I’d like to think the majority of people who follow me and know me have got the utmost confidence in me, every time I go out there and compete.”
One might query the wisdom of Ascot in inviting a jockey with such a history for a light-hearted event like the Shergar Cup. But Shinn is convincing in his regret over what happened, what it cost him and the effort it has taken him to return to a level which he might otherwise have sustained for the past seven years.
Britain is not short of jockeys who are earning a living once more having been banned for extended periods at some point. One of them, Frankie Dettori, whose career was nearly derailed by a six-month drug ban, turns out to be “an idol” to Shinn and it is a pity that, the Italian having got a whip ban for Saturday, a first meeting between them will have to wait.
“I’ve watched a lot of his races, like Fantastic Light and his seven winners [at Ascot in 1996], I love watching all that stuff. He brings a lot to the game, on and off the track, and that’s great for the sport of racing and we need more people like him.
“He’s flamboyant, he’s got a great style, he’s very well balanced. I’m my own individual person and rider but you try to take bits from every rider. I just love him as a person and as a jockey.”
Shinn’s gravity deepens another fathom when he is asked to describe his own style. “I think I’m quite a patient rider. I prepare very thoroughly. I think I’m very professional. I love the animals, I love the training side and the preparation that goes into it all. I love working with the trainers and the build-up into the actual race.”
He walked around Ascot during the Royal meeting, when he came here to spectate, and will do so again before racing on Saturday. What advice has McEvoy given him about riding the place? “Just enjoy it, have confidence in yourself and … ” he ponders, “don’t go too early! Save your carrots!”
