Shinners Out To Settle Melbourne Cup Score

Steve Shinners remembers 2002 Melbourne Cup night like it was yesterday.

Two races preceding Excite Ability's Melbourne Cup heroics that year, Shinners' star racer Oh Behave romped in, posting faster time than what was recorded in the Group 1 showpiece.

"She was a tragedy beaten in her heat that year as well," Shinners reflected.

FIELDS AND FORM WENTWORTH PARK SATURDAY NIGHT

"When she came out and went like she did on final night it felt like a bit of a missed opportunity. But it's hard to complain, what she's done for us, on and off the track, is hard to put into words really."

For more than two decades now, Shinners has been advancing a bloodline that really began with Oh Behave, and with huge success.

And at Sandown Park on Saturday night, Shinners returns for another shot at Melbourne Cup glory, when he and wife Krystal rug up slashing 29.16 heat winner Miss Envy.

But to land the $500,000-to-the-winner feature Miss Envy, winner at 12 of her 18 starts, needs to buck no shortage of history.

It has been 12 long years since a female has won the Melbourne Cup with just three greyhounds of the fairer sex successful in the past 33 years.

Furthermore, no WA trainer has ever tasted victory in the race, something Shinners, who has called the west home for 10 years now since relocating from Victoria, hopes to rectify this weekend.

"There might be races around these days worth more money but it is still the holy grail – the one every trainer wants to win," Shinners said.

"When you look at the race I think you can easily say seven of the eight could win depending on how the race is won.

"The best thing about my girl is that she's really in the sweet spot of her career now and is just an absolute demon chaser. And very smart in a field as well, she'll do whatever is necessary.

"You saw that the way she won the G1 National Sprint in Adelaide and again in the Million Dollar Chase consolation in Sydney.

"She's got that real competitive nature about her which traces back in her line to Oh Behave. That was her to a tee."

While initially despondent in drawing box five, Shinners said the mood picked up when Sunset Frazier, another WA owned and bred runner, drew box four.

"I said to Krystal box five will be okay if Sunset Frazier draws inside us and that's how it played out," he added.

"That gives her a chance of getting into a spot. But there's just so much speed, it wouldn't surprise me to see a bit of trouble at that first corner."  

If Shinners is to annex the Melbourne Cup, only adding to the thrill and excitement will be sharing the moment with champion mentor and close friend Kel Greenough.

"I was working for Kel back when I was 16," Shinners, now 53, said.

"Kel taught me the ropes and being able to leave Gary (Miss Envy) with him is a huge help this week. 

"Anything I know he taught me so she couldn't be in better hands.

"When it comes to dogs he's just a magician." 

While assisting in overseeing the preparation of Miss Envy, Kel and wife Jackie will line-up last year's Cup runner-up Big Energy, while their grandson Brad, relatively new to training, will rug up Epitomize.