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By Ray Hickson

Jockey Blake Shinn feels there’s a sense of timing about Godolphin filly Tempted going into Saturday’s Group 1 $5 million TAB Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill as he eyes back-to-back wins in the world’s richest two-year-old race.

Jockey Blake Shinn (Pic: Bradley Photos).

Shinn jumped on Lady Of Camelot last year and guided that filly to victory and the Slipper will also be his first race ride on Tempted so he’s no stranger to the scenario.

It’s part of the job description of any jockey to be across the form of any horse they’re riding and Shinn said he’ll be well versed in Tempted’s strengths and weaknesses when he’s legged on board.

“Just like any other race, you watch a lot of replays and go through the form as normal,’’ he said.

“I’ll speak to (trainer) James Cummings, have a chat to Craig Williams (who rode her in the Diamond), dot my I’s and cross my T’s.

“It’s a wide open race, a number of chances, there’s a lot of different form angles and anything can win it.”

That said, Shinn likes what he’s seeing from the last start Reisling Stakes winner.

The filly, who had finished an unlucky seventh in the Blue Diamond, settled back and charged down the outside to get the job done with, it seems, a little in hand.

Shinn, whose first Slipper came on Capitalist in 2016, said it’s easy to like Tempted’s credentials and loves the advantage barrier one could afford her.

“She’s hard to fault, she put up a good rating last start with a peak figure and ran the time,’’ Shinn said.

“She’s got a sense of timing about her and barrier one is the best draw for the race. There seems to be a lot of positives.

“I don’t think we want to be giving barrier one away cheaply, it’s probably the ace up our sleeve really.”

Trainer James Cummings also sees the gate as a big plus for Tempted’s chances as he goes in search of a second Slipper following Kiamichi in 2019.

He also feels the filly has improved since the Reisling win.

“It gives Blake Shinn the opportunity to not be too worried about the first half of the race,’’ Cummings said.

“He just needs to assertively hold his position and let the race unfold around him.

“That barrier draw tops off her preparation perfectly because it puts her in a position to have every conceivable chance of claiming the race, if she’s up for the fight and can get the run at the right time.

“I think she gave us all a glimpse last time that she was a legitimate Slipper contender.”

Meanwhile, Shinn partners one of the more intriguing runners in the Group 1 $750,000 Sky Racing Rosehill Guineas (2000m) in Kiwi three-year-old Checkmate.

The gelding, trained by Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, finished third in the inaugural running of The Kiwi over 1500m, a race Shinn won on Damask Rose beating Evaporate whose form wraps into the Guineas favourite.

Tempted wins the Reisling Stakes

“You get a line through Evaporate, who beat Broadsiding home in the Caulfield Guineas so that’s not a bad form angle,’’ he said.

“He’s by Mongolian Khan, he didn’t go to the New Zealand Derby and elected to go to the Kiwi with a view to coming to Sydney.

“He’s trained by great trainers, he has a very good record and I’m expecting him to run well.”

All the fields, form and replays for Golden Slipper day at Rosehill