Shinn keen to boost Gai's cup chances In the running: Blake Shinn hopes to guide Fiorente all the way to the Melbourne Cup. Photo: Ryan Osland Blake Shinn was delighted to get the booking on Fiorente in next week's Cox Plate but his immediate plan is to help Gai Waterhouse's spring assault on Vaquera in the City Tattersalls Club Cup at Randwick on Saturday. The Queensland Oaks placegetter remains in the Melbourne Cup, as does stablemate Hippopus, which also starts in the 2400m race, but needs to win to continue the dream. Paid-up Melbourne Cup contenders Ironstein, Kingdoms and Ghost Protocol are in the listed race but only the winner will be eligible for a penalty, which they all need to move up the order of entry. "On my mare's last start in the Craven Plate, she will be very hard to beat," Shinn said. She drew the inside and didn't have a lot of luck back on the fence in a slowly-run race. She was strong to the line and gave the feel of a horse that is just going to stay. It looks an ideal race for her getting up to a suitable distance of 2400 and I think she's perfectly suited dropping back from weight-for-age to a handicap. Vaquera produced a stunning finish to win the Tibbie Stakes when resuming and on her Queensland Oaks run, where she again had little luck before charging into third, the 2400m will not be a problem. "I really feel she is going to be a very good stayer and not out of place should she go to Melbourne," Shinn said. She is the highlight of a pretty good book for me at Randwick. As for his call up to ride Fiorente in the Cox Plate next Saturday, Shinn said: "For Gai to pick me is a great opportunity. She has always been there for me and it would be great if I could win a Cox Plate for her. Meanwhile, Waterhouse has decided to challenge the findings of the More Joyous inquiry at the Racing Appeals Tribunal. The trainer's legal team withdrew her appeal to the Racing NSW panel against the severity of the $5000 and $2000 fines after her appeal against conviction was dismissed.