George Simon: The Champions of Champions Day
George Simon • March 10th, 2025 4:57 PM • 4 min read
Where do I start?
There were so many story lines around Champions Day at Ellerslie on Saturday.
El Vencedor and La Crique in the Bonecrusher Stakes, Willydoit in the NZ Derby, Provence in a thrilling finish to the NZ Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes just three of them.
You can also throw into the mix, the wonderful atmosphere generated by a great on course crowd, excellent track condition which played fairly and the outstanding racing.
But there were two things which best summed up the day for me.
If you get the chance to watch the NZB Kiwi again, have a look at Blake Shinn's reaction after winning on Damask Rose.
I’m not talking about the double fist pump just after crossing the line.
No, if you continue watching as the horses get around to the 1400m you’ll see Shinn really celebrate the magnitude of the win.
Just as Damask Rose was about to head back to receive her well-earned plaudits, Shinn triumphantly punched the air in full blown jubilation.
Not once …. but twice.
According to a certain Māori commentator, Shinn had just ridden the greatest race of all time.….in hindsight, the cuz might have taken some poetic license with that one.
But what can’t be doubted is the sheer joy displayed by Shinn in that moment.
We’re not talking about an apprentice rider winning their first race here.
This is Blake Shinn, widely regarded as one of the best jockeys in the World.
The same Blake Shinn who plies his trade at the big racing carnivals throughout Australia as well as the red-hot atmosphere of Hong Kong racing.
His glittering career has garnered nearly 2000 wins which include races like the Melbourne Cup, Golden Slipper, and Hong Kong Cup and Hong Kong Mile.
You get my drift...the man can ride.
Yet here he was at Ellerslie on Barfoot and Thompson Champions Day absolutely going off.
Sure, he'd just ridden a superb race on Damask Rose and there was also the $3.5m stake attached to the race to heighten his excitement.
But to see one of the World's best reacting so excitedly after all the success he's had, sums up Champion's Day for me.
Being the thorough professional that he is, Shinn was cool calm and collected by the time he'd returned to scale on Damask Rose and was his usual poised self, confidently fulfilling media duties afterwards.
There was someone else who was overcome with emotion at Ellerslie on Saturday.
Again, I didn't see this one coming either.
When I got home on Saturday night, I got a call from Te Akau supremo, David Ellis.
The Tangerine Army not only picked up the NZB Kiwi with Damask Rose, but earlier in the day had won the Group One Sistema Stakes with Return To Conquer.
It was the 100th Group One success by horses selected by Ellis under the Te Akau banner.
Ellis has experienced so many highlights in his career, you'd think he'd be used to the success.
Not so.
The normally unflappable Ellis unashamedly shed tears of joy after achieving that 100th Group One milestone success.
Maybe contrary to what some may think, David Ellis is human after all.
Or maybe it's what Champions Day is all about.
Like going to heaven, without the dying part.
Picture at the Top of the Page: Blake Shinn after winning the $3.5m NZB Kiwi at Ellerslie aboard Te Akau's Damask Rose. Photo: Race Images NZ
