Dubai: Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Blake Shinn is hoping to ‘get noticed’ when he represents five-time winners Rest Of The World in tomorrow’s (Saturday) Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, the world’s only international jockey’s competition.
Shinn will team up with fellow Australian and team captain Kerrin McEvoy and Shergar Cup regular Yutaka Take in a bid to outshine hat-trick seeking Europe, three-time winners Great Britain & Ireland and the Girls team.
“I want to develop myself into a world-class rider and the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup will hopefully give me the chance to try and build myself into that,” he said ahead of the event. “Hopefully, in time I would like to come to England and ride for a period of time so this is a great opportunity to get out there and get noticed.”
Former Godolphin rider McEvoy, was hopeful of a good show from his team. “I feel we can compete well. Blake has gone to a new level in the last 12 months and is in fantastic form. I have ridden against Yutaka Take a few times and his record speaks for itself.
“The Shergar Cup is a big deal and will get a good following worldwide with social media now. Everyone is on the top of everything across the globe.”
Great Britain & Ireland, who are represented by former champion jockey Jamie Spencer (Captain), Pat Smullen and Graham Lee, will start as the favourites to win a third trophy and first since 2012.
“I am looking forward to the weekend. Hopefully, it is going to be a good day’s racing and there should be some nice horses on display,” said Spencer.
“The Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup always attracts a big crowd. There are a lot of young people as well and that can only be a good thing for racing.
“I am really happy with the team. Graham (Lee) has had a tremendous time of it since he has switched to the Flat and Pat Smullen is having a brilliant summer as well. He had a great Ascot and won the Irish Oaks.
Team Europe, which consists of French champion Olivier Peslier, Dutch ace Adrie de Vries and newcomer Vincent Cheminaud, will be looking to take the magnificient Shergar Cup trophy home for the third successive year.
The fourth team in the points-based competition features three talented lady riders captained by Canadian Emma-Jayne Wilson and also comprising Haley Turner and Ireland’s Sammy Jo Bell.
Having gone down narrowly to Europe twelve months ago Wilson and her squad are raring to go and prove the bookmakers, who make them 4/1 outsiders, wrong. “We came so close to winning last year. Peslier had quite a day too and capped it off for the other team, but I was happy with how my day went,” Wilson recalled.
“It was bittersweet I suppose, but in a good way.”
Latest Odds
Great Britain & Ireland 2/1 Rest Of The World 5/2 Europe 3/1 The Girls 4/1.
