Blake Shinn guides Plymouth home at Bendigo

Victoria’s leading jockey Blake Shinn sees race experience being invaluable for the future of Plymouth after the gelding’s maiden win at Bendigo.

Having his second race start, the Mike Moroney and Glen Thompson-trained gelding took out the AVIS Bendigo Maiden Plate (1500m) on Wednesday.

Despite wanting to lay-in after striking the lead in the straight, Plymouth, the $2.30 favourite with betting sites, scored a 1-¼ length win from Hot To Go ($17) with Royal Hill ($4.40) 2-¼ lengths away third.

“He did most things right today but in the straight he got lost and wanted to wander about,” Shinn told racing.com.

“What he does possess is a lot of natural, raw ability and that is going to carry him a long way.

“He applied himself a lot better in going to the start today and up to 1500 metres, that extra 200 metres, helped him get the result today.”

Shinn believes, in time, Plymouth will benefit from a set of blinkers, but in the meantime wants the gelding to develop as a racehorse.

The jockey added that striking the front early in the straight was not ideal.

“I think he is a blinker horse, but we feel he will get over a trip, so the team, and full credit to them, are in no rush to put them on,” Shinn said.

“They want to let him learn through race experience and I think if he had something to chase from the 200 (metres) he would have run it down and concentrated a bit better, but he was left in front a long way out and idled when he hit the front.

“He’s a nice horse, not overly big, but he’s got a nice action and he’s going to be effective when he gets out over a bit further.”

Thompson, who joined Moroney in a training partnership at the start of the season and is currently enjoying a successful run, said it was pleasing to see Plymouth breakthrough.

“We will see how he comes through the run as there were no plans past today,” Thompson said.

“It’s good to get the maiden out of the way and now we can sit down to work out where to go.

“We’ve always had a nice opinion of him. His jump-outs had been good, his first run was good and he’s a horse with a nice future.”