Champion jockey Blake Shinn is finally back in the saddle.

Shinn has started riding some trotting exercise on trackwork mornings as he prepares for his long-awaited comeback to race riding towards the end of the season.

Shinn hasn't ridden since breaking his leg in a race fall at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day last year. His injuries were severe with his leg broken in four places.

It has been a long road to recovery since the horror fall but the superstar jockey was in good spirits when interviewed by Racing And Sports today.

"I've been on the horse riding them in the trotting ring for about a week now to build up my leg muscles,'' Shinn said.

"It feels good just to back in the saddle.''

Shinn, who has been helping his partner, trainer Lucy Yeomans at her Cranbourne stables while recovering from his injuries, plans to slowly increase his workload over the winter months so he can be fully fit for the new season starting on August 1.

"I think in the next week to 10 days I will be back out on the track riding horses in cantering exercise,'' he explained.

"My plan is to go through the process step by step – trotting, cantering, jump-outs, barrier trials then races.

"I want to tick every box first but I'm very feeling confident. There is no pain in my leg, it feels super, but I don't want to rush my return.

"I'm looking to be back riding in races towards the end of July. I want to be '120 per cent' when I start riding in races again.''

Shinn has ridden more than 2000 winners during an outstanding riding career including 34 at Group 1 level highlighted by his 2008 Melbourne Cup win on Viewed, two Golden Slippers on Lady Of Camelot (2024) and Capitalist (2026), Doncaster Mile on Happy Clapper (2018), four Doomben Cups with Antino (2025), Bois D'Argent (2024), Pornichet (2015) and Streama (2014), and the Sydney Cup on Who Shot Thebarman (2018).

Shinn is the only jockey in Australian racing history to win premierships in Sydney and Melbourne, and was the reigning Melbourne premier rider before his fall.

"I'm currently walking around at 59.5kg and it won't take much to lose a few more kilos,'' Shinn said.

"There's light at the end of the tunnel now and I'm looking forward to the spring carnival.''

Aritcle: Ray Thomas, International Editor for Racing and Sports

Photo: Colin Bull / Sportpix