‘Long way to go’: Jockey’s broken neck battle
BLAKE Shinn's road back from a broken neck was never going to be easy and the champion jockey has continued to share that journey with supporters.
Shinn was rushed to hospital in August after he suffered a serious neck injury in a Randwick barrier trial fall.
Shinn was riding Pacific Legend in a 1045m heat when the horse seemed to become unbalanced near the home turn and the jockey slipped from the saddle.
The regular jockey for three-time Group 1 winner Happy Clapper, was taken to nearby Prince of Wales Hospital where X-rays revealed he had fractures in his C1 and C3 vertebra.
Shinn on Thursday shared a video of his ongoing recovery to social media.
He was coming off arguably a career-best season where he rode 80 Sydney winners to be second in the jockeys premiership prior to the fall.
Shinn had also won five Group 1 races - three on the outstanding Happy Clapper including the Epsom-Doncaster Handicap double.
Before Shinn's fall, he rode Happy Clapper the same day to finish a close fourth in a 1250m barrier trial.
Shinn's injury will require three to six months recovery which likely rules him out from a return to the track until next year.
