CHAMPION jockey Blake Shinn, who is part of Sky Racing’s Everest Day television coverage on Saturday, has bravely opened up about his struggles with depression.

Shinn shared his story on his blog as part of Mental Awareness Week and is hoping it will help others talk about depression.

“I know I’m not alone in this mental health struggle,’’ Shinn, 31, wrote.

“A lot of jockeys have battles. Actually, it affects a lot of people in the racing industry, and is not often publicly spoken about or admitted to, especially by men.’’

Shinn revealed how he suffered from depression after stewards disqualified him from riding for 15 months when he was found to be betting on races.

“My whole world came crashing down, bringing everyone else down too,’’ Shinn said.

“I was a total idiot, risking everything I had to gamble.

“But the hardest reality when everything was exposed wasn’t that my career could be gone, it was the impact my actions had on those closest to me.

“I had used their names to place bets, so they were hauled into the stewards room too, copping penalties and time.

“They were publicly named, which was humiliating for them and devastating for me.

“Reflecting back on this now, it still deeply pains me to think back on how much I hurt those closest to me.’’

Shinn had counselling and treatment for his depression, changed his mindset and has become a more resilient person. He has regained his ranking among the nation’s top jockeys.

TALK OF THE TRACK — RAY THOMAS’S TOP 5

1. GAI’S HONOUR
GAI Waterhouse joined her late father, the legendary Tommy Smith, when inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Melbourne on Thursday night.

Racing’s first lady becomes only the fifth trainer to be recognised with the honour after her dad, Bart Cummings, Colin Hayes and Etienne de Mestre.

Smith and Waterhouse are the first father-daughter combination in the Hall of Fame, joining basketballers Lindsay and Andrew Gaze, and Olympic equestrians Bill and Wayne Roycroft.

Waterhouse described the honour as “very special”.

“It means so much more to be in the Hall of Fame with Dad,” she said. “If he was looking down, he’d be extremely proud.’’

Waterhouse said training the trifecta in the 2001 Golden Slipper with Ha Ha, Excellerator and Red Hannigan, and winning the 2013 Melbourne Cup with Fiorente, had been career highlights.

The champion trainer has prepared 138 Group 1 winners and won just about every major in Australian racing, but she remains as ambitious as ever. “I would love to win a (US) Breeders’ Cup or have a horse go to Royal Ascot and win,’’ she said.
Waterhouse, who trains in partnership with Adrian Bott, doesn’t have an Everest runner at Royal Randwick on Saturday but her stable is represented by Speedycom (Victory Vein Plate), Stampede (The Star Mile) and Arbeitsam (Craven Plate), while at Caulfield tomorrow Waterhouse has Group 1 runners in Siege Of Quebec (Toorak Handicap) and Sedanzer (Caulfield Stakes).

Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys said Waterhouse’s award was deserved recognition for her outstanding training career and willingness to promote the sport.

“Gai has always been an adornment to NSW and Australian thoroughbred racing, as evidenced by the many other awards bestowed on her, including membership of the Australian Racing Hall of Fame,’’ V’landys said.

“Furthermore, her outstanding record as a trainer and her many successes and accomplishments place her among the all-time greats of Australian racing.

“However, I believe that what truly sets Gai apart is her ever-ready willingness to promote the thoroughbred racing industry.

“In this respect, Gai has always made herself available to participate in a wide array of racing promotions and has given freely of her time to all branches of the media. As such, she is widely recognised as one of the industry’s finest ambassadors.’’

2. REBOUND FACTOR
WILL Redzel be another example of the renowned Snowden stable “rebound factor”?

Trainers Peter and Paul Snowden have demonstrated repeatedly their ability to have their horses produce peak performances when it matters most.

Two of the best examples are the stable’s former brilliant two-year-old colts Sepoy (2011) and Capitalist (2016). Both lost their unbeaten records in the Todman Stakes but bounced back two weeks later to win the Golden Slipper.

There were genuine excuses for the shock defeats of Sepoy and Capitalist before their Slipper wins, just as there was for Redzel’s last-start fifth in the Premiere Stakes won by Santa Ana Lane.

Redzel had a setback and missed a scheduled run in The Shorts, which meant he was simply too fresh for the Premiere. He wanted to over-race in front and was responsible for the track record being broken, yet was only beaten about two lengths.

If Redzel does bounce back to win a second Everest, he will take his earnings to $14.8 million, vaulting from fifth to second on the all-time prizemoney list behind the great Winx, who has won $19.9 million and counting.

3. J-MAC TO DOMINATE
JAMES McDonald was in rare from at the Warwick Farm midweeks, riding five winners to bolt away to a decisive lead in the Sydney jockeys’ premiership.

The 2018-19 season is only in its third month but McDonald, who has made no secret of his ambition to win back the Sydney title, has already ridden 33 city winners and is 13 wins in front of his nearest rival, Hugh Bowman.

McDonald can’t improve his tally on Saturday because he is not riding at The Everest meeting at Royal Randwick. Instead, McDonald will ride at Caulfield, where he is in such demand he has rides in all 10 races — including the favourites in three of the four Group 1s.

The champion jockey rides super colt The Autumn Sun ($1.90) in the $2 million Caulfield Guineas (1600m), unbeaten filly Smart Melody ($2.60) in the $500,000 Thousand Guineas (1600m) and D’Argento ($4.20) in the $1 million Caulfield Stakes (2000m).

McDonald is also reuniting with an old favourite, last-start Epsom Handicap winner Hartnell ($6.50), in the Group 1 $500,000 Toorak Handicap (1600m).

Sydney’s premier trainer Chris Waller also has a powerful presence at the Caulfield meeting with the early favourites in three Group 1 races. They are The Autumn Sun, D’Argento, and Shillelagh ($5) for the Toorak Handicap.

4. THE TOPICAL TIP
UTZON is going to be the centre of attention when she lines up for her first race start in the Debutant Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. The two-year-old filly will stand out in the parade ring as she is officially described as white, the rarest colour for a thoroughbred. Her dam was The Opera House, a Zabeel mare who is also white.

The white filly was named in honour of Utzon, the architect of the famous Sydney Opera House. There was plenty of controversy earlier this week when the Opera House’s “sails” were used to show The Everest barrier draw.

5. THE EVEREST TRACK RATING
Lindsay Murphy, the Australian Turf Club’s racetrack manager, is optimist the Royal Randwick track surface will get back into the soft range for The Everest meeting on Saturday.

Murphy said Randwick received “occasional showers” on Thursday which kept the track rated as a heavy 8. “We are very close to soft 7 already,” Murphy said. “The forecast is better for (Friday) and Saturday so I expect we will have an improving track for The Everest.’’