BLAKE Shinn, who gave doyen Bart Cummings his 12th and final Melbourne Cup success, will be a new rider for Mt Isa sprinter Deadly Choices in Brisbane on Saturday.
Shinn replaces senior bush hoop Keith Ballard, who was aboard Deadly Choices in a home track victory on May 11 and then at Cloncurry on June 1, in the $125,000 Battle of the Bush Series final (1200m) at Eagle Farm.
Good luck at the barrier draw deserted the Deadly Choices champ and the gelding will jump from a wide gate in what is shaping as a capacity field of 16 runners.
Price framers have installed Deadly Choices as an early favourite at $5.50.
Shinn, who steered Viewed to a skinny win in the 2008 Cup to round out a perfect dozen for the late super trainer, has been in rare form during the winter carnival. He also carried his good Brisbane form back home to Sydney for a winning double at Canterbury on June 19.
Nonetheless, Shinn will need to be at his tactical best to get Deadly Choices into a nice spot after drawing barrier 14.
Deadly Choices could move in one barrier position closer to the inside running rail should first emergency Gendebein (Luke Tarrant, barrier seven) fail to obtain a start.
Mt Isa jockey Dan Ballard can use inside knowledge of Deadly Choices to some advantage when he teams with Battle topweight Fab's Cowboy (barrier 15).
Ballard rode Deadly Choices to a comfortable win at Mt Isa in December before trainer Damien Finter sent the horse for a summer spell.
Fab's Cowboy, beaten in the 2018 Battle, has been in splendid touch lately with a string of wins preceding his last start second at Goondiwindi on June 1. His various 2019 wins include two victories in Battle qualifiers at Gladstone and Cunnamulla when apprentice Minonette Kennedy had the mount.
Battle Of The Bush: Fab's Cowboy (Dan Ballard 15), Bush Caviar (Jim Byrne 6), Marksfield (Gary Geran 13), Kakakenny (Brooke Richardson 5), Deadly Choices (Blake Shinn 14), Stellar Knight (Justin Stanley 11), Tycoon Zip (Brooke Stower 10), Music Scene (Leanne McCoy 12), Machu Picchu (Hannah English 3), Malibu Affair (Matthew McGillivray 1), Sweet Surprise (Jamie Kah 8), Hanover Square (Michael Cahill 2), Mia Host (Elyce Smith 4), Split The Atom (Jason Babarovich 18), Little Stryker (Bonnie Thomson 9), Kahuna (Tegan Harrison (19). Emergencies Gendebein (Luke Tarrant 7), Galea Warrior (no rider 22), All Host scratched (17), Bel Seleva (no rider 20), Still The Same (no rider 16), Go Get Sum (no rider 21).
Alan Welburn
Lover of sport, particularly horse racing and all things Olympic. Have spent my entire working life in journalism, mostly with News Corp on its major metro mastheads. Done plenty of things but the best by far is having a teenage son who calls me dad.
Lover of sport, particularly horse racing and all things Olympic. Have spent my entire working life in journalism, mostly with News Corp on its major metro mastheads. Done plenty of things but the best by far is having a teenage son who calls me dad.
