A Golden Slipper win has been a long time coming for Blake Shinn who has savoured every moment of his win on Capitalist.
In 2008, he missed the winning ride on Sebring through suspension and, although later that year he won the Melbourne Cup as a 20-year-old, the Slipper was the one that got away.
"Missing the Slipper on Sebring was heart-breaking," Shinn said.
"It was the one that got away and I thought he was my best chance to win one.
"The Slipper is up there with the biggest races in the world and it's an amazing feeling.
"And this time I got to savour it. In the Melbourne Cup on Viewed I couldn't take it all in.
"I had time in this race to be confident and to savour it in the last 75 metres."
The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Capitalist had his doubters after he was beaten in the Todman Stakes but Shinn was not among them and stuck to the plan on Saturday.
"I always had confidence in him," he said.
"I know he had a bit of muscle soreness but that was nothing.
"My loyalty was always to him. He's shown he's one of the best two-year-olds of the season.
"This is a race most jockeys want to win and now it's a box I've ticked."
Shinn will tick another box on Sunday when he rides in Hong Kong for the first time.
He partners the John Moore-trained White Magic in the Hong Kong Derby.
"I've never been there and it's somewhere I've always wanted to go so to get the opportunity is great," he said.