Cover image courtesy of Sportpix
On Saturday night, Racing Victoria celebrated the 2024/25 Victorian Racing Awards, with 15 award categories. The event celebrates the achievements of horses, jockeys, and trainers across Victoria’s tracks during the 2024/25 racing season.
Shinn on top with fourth Scobie
A fourth Scobie Breasley Medal - and a third consecutive medal - came the way of Blake Shinn at last night’s award ceremony; the landmark achievement came 20 years after he first received the medal as a 17-year-old and is the 30th time the award has been handed out.
The award recognises Shinn’s domination of both the Victorian and Metropolitan Jockeys’ Premierships last season, which saw him guide Antino (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) to victory in the G1 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield - after a foot injury threatened to end his season early, the 37-year-old rallied to guide the now 7-year-old gelding to victory in the G1 Doomben Cup over the Queensland winter carnival.
Antino (NZ) with Blake Shinn winning the G1 Doomben Cup | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
Shinn gained 60 votes from the Racing Victoria Stewards panel, 14 votes ahead of second-placed Daniel Stackhouse, with the panel awarding Shinn three points on 13 occasions across the season for top level performances at Victorian metropolitan meetings. Upon receiving his medal on Saturday night, the jockey paid tribute to the passion and drive that has kept him on track since he was an apprentice to succeed at the highest level.
“I’ve been like that since I was a kid,” said Shinn. “I have that drive to achieve and keep pushing every day. It's very hard to take the foot off the accelerator. I’m still trying to work that out.
“I have that drive to achieve and keep pushing every day. It's very hard to take the foot off the accelerator.” - Blake Shinn
“A friend of mine, Peter Johnson said, the hardest thing for me to do is to slow down and not push myself as that’s my nature. That’s why Luce (Lucy Yeomans, partner) is important. I think we complement each other. She understands my job and I understand her job. We go through things together, she’s very calm.
“She’s a big asset to my life and I can’t wait for the future.”
Shinn also thanked his manager Liam Prior for his constant dedication and guidance.
“Liam Prior is my right-hand man and he’s a workhorse who gets me the good rides,” he said. “Thanks to him we achieved this. I also like to thank the owners and trainers and my family and friends, plus there's a lot of people behind the scene who aren’t recognised. The victories on the track are for them and they are sharing it with me.”
“There's a lot of people behind the scene who aren’t recognised. The victories on the track are for them and they are sharing it with me.” - Blake Shinn
Shinn returned from Hong Kong in 2022 after three seasons in the jurisdiction, and set to work making Melbourne his own. In the 2024/25 season, he rode 74 winners in Melbourne to secure the Metropolitan Jockeys’ Premiership and took out the Victorian Jockey’s Premiership with 146 wins. Riding 159 countrywide, he finished second only to Willie Pike in the Australian Jockeys’ Premiership.
“I love my job, I love what I do, I love horses,” he said. “I’ve been doing it since I was a little kid. I'm now 37 and I’ve still got the same desire.”
Damian Lane and Logan Bates respectively scooped the VJA Damien Oliver Most Valuable Jockey award, Lane’s second senior accolade, and the VJA Rising Star award. Tom Prebble prevailed in the Metropolitan Apprentice Jockeys’ Premiership by one win over 2024 VJA Rising Star Jaylah Kennedy, and jumps jockey Steve Pateman received his 10th Tommy Corrigan Medal.
Via Sistina receives Horse Of The Year laurels
Yulong’s mighty mare Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) was awarded Victorian Racehorse of the Year on Saturday, and while some may argue her legitimate claim due to being trained in Sydney, she stands head and shoulders above the rest in terms of victories.
Three of the now 8-year-old’s seven Group 1 wins in the 2024/25 season came in Victoria, first in the G1 Turnbull Stakes under Damien Lane, then her record-breaking G1 Cox Plate performance where she sailed past Japanese raider Prognosis (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to an eight-length victory, followed by the G1 Champions Stakes to seal her spring.
Via Sistina (Ire) | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Via Sistina received 79 votes from the panel - consisting of racing officials and members of the media - putting her leagues in front of joint runners-up Treasurethe Moment (Alabama Express) and Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars), both on 40 points. It was trainer Chris Waller’s sixth win of the award, having previously trained Nature Strip (Nicconi) to win.
“She’s a very special filly,” said Jun Zhang, Yulong’s general manager upon accepting the award.
Reflecting on the mare’s Cox Plate win, less than a week after an unplanned gallop round the track put a cloud over punters’ pre-race feelings, he said, “I just felt, this is an incredible moment, she had done incredibly well on the way in and then she was flying home. This is the most exciting part. We celebrated before she hit the line.”
On having a champion trainer like Waller engaged for their horses, Zhang said, “it’s very important. Everyone’s care of her is part of this journey, and we can’t get to this point without their support.”
“Everyone’s care of her (Via Sistina) is part of this journey, and we can’t get to this point without their support.” - Jun Zhang
Zhang thanked the jockeys who have been part of Via Sistina’s journey - James McDonald, Kerrin McEvoy, and Damien Lane - and the Yulong and Waller teams for their hard work with the mare.
“And also thanks to Mr Zhang, who brought this special filly back to Australia to give us a big surprise,” he added.
Jun Zhang leading Via Sistina (Ire) | Image courtesy of Yulong Investments
Via Sistina equalled the great Winx’s (Bel Esprit) record for Group 1 wins in a season, taking her personal total to nine, eight of which have been won in Australia. Her prizemoney climbed to over $12.8 million last season, which concluded with back-to-back wins in the G1 Ranvet Stakes and going one better than her 2024 finish in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes to finish on a win.
She is expected to resume in the G1 Winx Stakes at the end of the month, where she will be attempting to repeat her victory from last spring.
Laurie and Bedggood's achievements recognised
Giving Yulong their second win of the evening, trainer Matt Laurie managed to just pip Waller to the post for the Most Outstanding Training Performance award, courtesy of the tremendous talents of Treasurethe Moment. Retained to race by Yulong, the filly navigated her way from her second career victory at Sandown in September to eight consecutive victories, six of them at Group level and three Group 1s, by mid April.
In doing so, Treasurethe Moment became the first filly to complete the G1 VRC Oaks–G1 Australian Oaks double in 19 years, since Serenade Rose (Stravinsky {USA}) in the 2005/06 season.
Treasurethe Moment | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Laurie’s win over Waller came at just three votes from the panel, with Laurie scoring 57 and Waller 54, with Andrew Bobbin receiving third place in acknowledgement of Duke Of Bedford (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) completing the Brierly–Grand Annual Steeplechase double.
The Colin Alderson Rising Star Award, given to a trainer under 40 on an upwards trajectory, went to Gavin Bedggood, who experienced a breakout season thanks to a personal best of 62 winners and Mornington Glory’s (Shalaa {Ire}) victory in the G1 Moir Stakes, defeating juvenile Group 1 winners Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon) and Hayasugi (Royal Meeting {Ire}).
On the gelding’s Group 1 breakthrough, Bedggood said, “it was great to win it (a first Group 1) with that horse, he’s been very good to us over the years and it was great to win it for those owners who have supported me over the seasons too.
“It was great to win it (the G1 Moir Stakes) with that horse (Mornington Glory), he’s been very good to us over the years.” - Gavin Bedggood
“I’ve had to adapt along the way, seven years ago we started out with one horse we owned ourselves and went from there. I’ve got a great team behind me, I’ve got good help.”
Renowned for his ability to improve and rehabilitate an older horse, Bedggood said the model is evolving now as his business expands; “We’ve been a bit more active at the sales. It’s been a good tag to have along the way as it’s helped us get horses, and I love the tried horses, but I don’t want it to be my tag forever.”
Bedggood thanked his partner Karen Flaherty and the team he has at home, as well as the late Robbie Laing, who Bedggood credited as a huge support over the years.
Ciaron Maher headlined the Victorian Metropolitan Trainers’ Premiership, but the statewide honours went to the Lindsay Park Racing team with 240 total winners; Mr Brightside delivered a hat trick of Group 1 victories, and the team’s juvenile division struck repeatedly throughout the season, with black-type victories from Shining Smile (Spirit Of Boom), Miss Celine (Magnus), Tycoon Star (Written Tycoon), and Scenic Point (Written Tycoon).
| Scobie Breasley Medal | Blake Shinn |
| Victorian Racehorse of the Year | Via Sistina |
| Most Outstanding Training Performance | Matt Laurie (Treasurethe Moment) |
| Tommy Corrigan Medal | Steve Pateman |
| Colin Alderson Rising Star Award | Gavin Bedggood |
| VJA Damien Oliver Most Valuable Jockey | Damian Lane |
| VJA Rising Star | Logan Bates |
| RV Acknowledged Retrainer of the Year | Jennifer Duffy |
| RV Acknowledged Retrainer of the Year Runner-Up | Louise Abey |
| Metropolitan Jockeys’ Premiership (Roy Higgins Medal) | Blake Shinn |
| Victorian Jockeys’ Premiership | Blake Shinn |
| Metropolitan Apprentices’ Premiership | Tom Prebble |
| Victorian Apprentices’ Premiership | Logan Bates |
| Metropolitan Trainers’ Premiership (Fred Hoysted Medal) | Ciaron Maher |
| Victorian Trainers’ Premiership | Ben, Will, and JD Hayes |
Table: Award recipients at the 2024/25 Victorian Racing Awards
