Jockey Blake Shinn has been announced the recipient of a second straight Scobie Breasley Medal for riding excellence in Victoria.
The Scobie Breasley Medal is awarded on a 3-2-1 voting basis by Racing Victoria Stewards for the best ride at each of the metropolitan meetings throughout the season.
Shinn, who finished second to Damian Lane on the Victorian Jockeys’ premiership, polled 72 votes to lead home Lane by just four votes and claim a third victory in the Scobie Breasley Medal.
The Scobie Breasley Medal top five was rounded out by Daniel Stackhouse (31 votes), Harry Coffey (27) with Victorian and Metropolitan Apprentices’ Premiership winner Celine Gaudray (24) who claimed fifth position on a countback from Billy Egan and Jye Mcneil.
It was an intriguing battle as Lane led Shinn 40 to 26 at the halfway point of the count before Shinn powered home in the second half of the season.
It was a cluttered leader board despite the runaway pair with just five votes separating fifth to 14th at the end of the count.
While Lane may have missed out on the Scobie Breasley Medal, he did secure his maiden Roy Higgins Medal for winning the Metropolitan Jockeys’ Premiership as well as being the overall Victorian Jockeys’ Premiership winner, the first rider to claim both titles since Luke Nolen in the 2009-10 season, along with the Damien Oliver Most Valuable Jockey, voted on by his peers.
Father and son training duo Anthony and Sam Freedman landed the inaugural Most Outstanding Training Performance for winning the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double with Without A Fight while that horse was judged the Victorian Racehorse of the Year.
Sam Freedman was also awarded the Colin Alderson Rising Star Award, given to the trainer aged 40 or under whose career is on an upwards trajectory.
Apprentice Jaylah Kennedy was judged the Victorian Jockeys’ Associations Rising Star by her fellow riders while Aaron Kuru won the Tommy Corrigan Medal, the jumps equivalent of the Scobie Breasley Medal, for the second straight year.
Ciaron Maher received a fourth straight Fred Hoysted Medal after claiming the Metropolitan Trainers’ Premiership while he also collecting a fifth straight Victorian Trainers’ Premiership.