Shailer in deep focus about carnival ambitions

By Jordan Gerrans

With a $1 million event in tow already this month, trainer Paul Shailer now has Group race ambitions with a couple of promising juveniles in his barn.

Shailer was previously Chris Waller’s right-hand-man on the Gold Coast before branching out on his own to prepare his own team.

He is backed by high-profile and big-spending owners such as Peter Tighe, Neil Werrett, Max Whitby, fruiterer Darren Frame and publican Brian Hooper, among others.

The Shailer team have been sizeable spenders at sales’ in Australia and New Zealand over the last couple of years as he has built up his stable to 40 – which are mostly young stock – at Aquis Park.

When you are backed by people that Shailer are, they expect results.

So, claiming the $1 million Magic Millions National 2YO Classic with Isti Star last Friday evening on his home deck was a nice start. 

But, those owners are also keen for the prestige that comes with black-type victories, as well as the prizemoney on offer. 

Shailer gets his chance to deliver both this Saturday at Eagle Farm with Deep Focus in the Group 1 Queensland Derby while stablemate Ha'penny Hatch starts in the Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes.

Shailer was asked what a victory with either of these two horses on Saturday would do for his burgeoning team.

“I think any stable would tell you that a major or Group 1 win, it just builds your profile and it gets people looking at you and interested,” Shailer responded.

“If we could pull off one of those, it would be a big coup.”

After finishing up as Waller’s satellite stable boss at the Gold Coast in 2021, the New Zealander initially relocated to Port Macquarie to train his own team. 

With the backing of his high-profile connections, who wanted to race horses in town, Shailer eventually acquired boxes at the Gold Coast and now has 40 in work.

The bulk of those are yearlings, two-year-olds and unraced three-year-olds, with an eye to contending in feature events for many years to come.

He won a couple of black-type events back home in NZ in his early days in the caper and arguably has his best opportunity yet to breakthrough at the level in Australia this Saturday. 

“We thought it was a great opportunity to take our business to the next level,” the Kiwi horseman said of the GC move. 

“We have been here a little over 12 months now and things have been going really well for us; we seem to be on an upward trajectory.

“Hopefully that continues.

“It is a pretty exciting time at the minute as we have a lot of unraced horses and that means there is always hope at the end of the tunnel there.

“We have some nice horses that are well-bred that we paid decent money for, it should hold us in good stead going forward.”

Shailer spent 14 years under Waller’s guidance and described the champion conditioner as ‘one of the best trainers in the world’.

He was there through the halcyon Winx days and built a connection with Tighe, who was a part-owner in the celebrated mare.

“You learn some pretty valuable lessons and great insight on programming horses,” Shailer said about working with Waller.

“And, just how to manage a big stable, as well. They were great years and I worked with some high-quality horses.

“It is time to go out on my own and hopefully we can kick some goals along the way.”

Of Shailer’s two feature runners on Saturday, Deep Focus loomed as the most likely candidate to nab victory before the barrier draw was revealed.

After running an eye-catching second in the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate earlier this month, Deep Focus was handed the wide barrier of 18.

While all is not lost for the stable, Deep Focus is rated as a $26 hope with bookmakers as of Friday morning with Melbourne Cup-winning hoop Michael Rodd booked to do the steering.

“I thought his run was really good, a perfect Derby trial,” Shailer said of Deep Focus’ last start.

“He got back and settled, he got into a beautiful rhythm through the race and was strong late. I think from a Derby perspective, that is the sort of run you want to see.

“He is a horse we identified very early at the sales in New Zealand when we inspected the horse. He is a horse that still has plenty of improvement to come over time as an older horse.

“I identified him as a Derby horse early days and he has been trained to get to this race from day one.”

Top jockey Rodd was onboard in the Rough Habit and also partnered with Isti Star last week. 

The Rodd and Shailer team collected a winning treble under lights at the Gold Coast last Friday. 

Experienced rider Rodd was quick to praise Shailer following Friday’s feature win.

“I’m so happy for him,” Rodd said.

“He works so hard. I’ve been working with him over the last three months and you see the heartache sometimes when things go wrong. They’ve got really good staff which helps.

“He’s got a bunch of good young horses coming through which you need and it is on the up and up for him.”

Ha'penny Hatch comes through last week’s Listed Bill Carter Stakes where she finished fourth.

The bay filly sports the popular Magic Bloodstock colours and will start as an outsider in the market on Saturday in the 1400 metre event. 

“She was very brave, she had an awkward alley to contend with,” the trainer said of her run last Saturday. 

“She travelled wide throughout but was very game in defeat and not beaten far.

“I think it is a good opportunity for a horse that has been racing well to race for $1 million. I couldn’t be more proud of the way she went at Doomben.”

Shailer described Isti Star as a ‘very exciting prospect’ with her next assignment likely to be the Listed Oxlade Stakes on Stradbroke Handicap day. 

“She is a filly of the future,” he said.