Latest news with #ChrisWaller
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Ladbrokes reveals the biggest winners and losers from the 2024-25 racing season
Wagering giant Ladbrokes has released details of the jockeys, trainers and horses who were the biggest winners and losers for punters in the just completed racing season. Melbourne Cup winner Robbie Dolan was the biggest pal of punters, stripping more than $11m from the betting agency's book which was mainly thanks to the Cup win of $91 longshot Knight's Choice. Punters also filled up by backing Sydney star hoop Tim Clark, who was a $2.3m loser for Ladbrokes over the racing season, while underrated Victorian hoop Jordan Childs was a $1.6m loser for Ladbrokes. By contrast, backing Victorian champion jockey Jamie Melham was a wipe-out for punters with the bookie winning $5.5m from her rides during the season. Kerrin McEvoy, Joao Moreira and William Pike were also major winners for the betting agency. Punters have to pay the so-called 'J-Mac tax' to back the mounts of superstar Sydney hoop James McDonald who was a $560,000 winner for Ladbrokes during the racing season. Chris Waller might dominate Australian racing but the legendary Sydney trainer was a big winner for Ladbrokes who were more than $11m richer from punters who backed Waller's 2393 runners during the season. Other big names such as Ciaron Maher and James Cummings were also major winners for the betting giant. Melbourne Cup legend Sheila Laxon, who trains with husband John Symons, was a major punters' pal as punters who backed her runners during the season scooped more than $12m. It was a figure inflated by the Melbourne Cup fairytale of Knight's Choice, the roughie who became the first Queensland-trained winner in Melbourne Cup history. Sydney trainer Bjorn Baker has been airborne in 2024-2025 and bookmakers don't want another season where punters score a total win of $2.8m from his 756 runners in the just finished racing season. Victorians Grahame Begg and Matt Laurie were also strip outs for the Ladbrokes as punters scored more than $2m in profits from each. In terms of horses, Blue Army warrior Zardozi was the biggest loser for Ladbrokes punters who dusted off a combined $1.79m from backing the mare during the season. Buckaroo wasn't far behind, producing a $1.69m loss for punters, while Giga Kick backers contributed a $1.2m profit to the betting agency's book. Knight's Choice was a $12m stripout for Ladbrokes, while superstars Via Sistina, Bella Nipotina and Treasurethe Moment were also major winners for punters. â– â– â– â– â– WINNERS AND LOSERS FOR PUNTERS ON THE LADBROKES BOOK IN 2024-25 JOCKEYS LOSERS 1 – Jamie Melham -$5,581,866.93 (361 rides) 2 – Kerrin McEvoy -$4,492,367.27 (676 rides) 3 – Joao Moreira -$3,864,933.11 (74 rides) 4 – William Pike -$3,212,143.34 (696 rides) PUNTERS' PALS 1 – Robbie Dolan +$11,054,451.36 (461 rides) 2 – Tim Clark +$2,374,223.91 (541 rides) 3 – Jordan Childs +$1,664,016.45 (594 rides) 4 – Clint Johnston-Porter +$1,106,652.31 (817 rides) TRAINERS LOSERS 1 – Chris Waller -$11,675,709.76 (2393 runners) 2 – Ciaron Maher -$8,601,700.53 (2422 runners) 3 – James Cummings -$7,864,110.95 (680 runners) 4 – Mick Price & Michael Kent Jr -$4,934,186 (873 runners) PUNTERS PALS 1 John Symonds & Sheila Laxon +$12,220,406.60 (98 runners) 2 Bjorn Baker +$2,800,614,27 (756 runners) 3 Graheme Begg +$2,153,303.56 (338 runners) 4 Matt Laurie +2,096,996.61 (338 runners) HORSES LOSERS 1 – Zardozi -$1,799,934.96 (12 starts) 2 – Buckaroo -$1,699,687.77 (9 starts) 3 – Giga Kick -$1,371,569.77 (6 starts) 4 – Vauban -$1,204,264.96 (4 starts) PUNTERS PALS 1 – Knight's Choice +12,406,829 (5 starts) 2 – Via Sistina +3,078,463.52 (9 starts) 3 – Bella Nipotina +$1,814,001.59 (5 starts) 4 – Treasurethe Moment +$1,792,389.19 (9 starts)
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘I was grateful just to have a licence': Trainer Paul Shailer's journey back from the brink
The relentless hustle and bustle of a morning at track work is a world away from the timeless serenity of a health retreat. But that's where Paul Shailer's road to redemption started as he took the first important steps to rebuild his life and his career in horse racing. Chris Waller's long-time lieutenant had just been given his marching orders by Australia's top trainer after an out of control Gold Coast stable party in 2021 which escalated into physical violence. 'I wasn't an alcoholic, by any stretch of the imagination, but that party got out of hand,' Shailer tells Racenet. 'Everyone's view was it happened on the night that Shaquero won the Magic Millions, but that wasn't the case. 'It was just a Wednesday afternoon, believe it or not. 'We were having a few drinks after work and the wheels gained momentum, it turned into a party and then there was an altercation that night. 'That is how it crescendoed. 'There was a bit of violence, but that's not me. 'It was a red flag to me, I thought what am I doing, what's going on here? 'I fronted the police and the racing stewards and I wasn't charged with anything. 'But I lost my job out of it and I could understand that. 'I just needed to get away and have a break and a freshen up, clean myself up both mentally and physically. 'The first and foremost thing was to get my state of mind and my health right. 'I went away, I went to a health retreat, I cleaned myself up and concentrated on my mental and physical health. 'I came out of it a month later feeling absolutely fantastic to be honest.' • The 39-year-old apprentice jockey who's proving it's never too late to achieve your dreams The stable party was Ground Zero for Shailer, the former Kiwi who had spent a dozen years with the Waller stable and had been one of the driving forces in it becoming an Aussie powerhouse. In the hectic aftermath, Shailer was without a job and didn't have a plan. But he knew he needed to get himself right and make some key changes in his life. At one stage, he thought about buying a courier van and quitting racing altogether. But it was a stint at a health retreat which uncluttered his mind, the first steps in a lengthy process which eventually saw him get a trainers' licence and prepare horses for some of the most powerful owners in Australia, including Winx 's owner Peter Tighe. No-one has to tell Shailer who his real friends are … because they were there for him in some of the darkest days of his life. Tighe and other big-time owners such as Noel Greenhalgh, Nev Morgan and Darren Frame were quickly on the phone offering their help and guidance. Shailer doesn't have any hard feelings towards Waller but says he will always be grateful to some of Waller's owners, who he ironically now trains for on the Gold Coast. 'Chris Waller is a well respected man, he's got good values, he's the leading trainer in Australia and one of the leading trainers in the world,' Shailer said. 'He's got a reputation to protect and I was front and centre of his Gold Coast stable. 'When it happened, I knew I had let Chris down and let his ownership group down. 'But it's funny how things work. 'One of the first people who came and put their arm around me was Peter Tighe and the other one was Nev Morgan and the other one was Noel Greenhalgh. 'They were blokes who rang me and asked if I was OK and if I needed any support. 'Without them I am not where I am now, that's for sure. 'I consider them all family.' The path back to racing was a winding one. Shailer returned to work for good friend and successful trainer Matt Dunn and ended up running Dunn's stable in Murwillumbah, in far northern NSW. Then came a major moment when there were available horse boxes at Port Macquarie. Shailer sensed he had to seize the day and apply for a trainer's licence in his own right. But nothing came easy as racing authorities in NSW did their due diligence. 'I had a feed room full of horse feed, 22 boxes at Port Macquarie full of sawdust and not a horse to put in them,' Shailer said. 'I had horses waiting, but my licence wasn't approved. 'I was set up, I had paid a bond, and I was sitting there paying a lease on empty boxes. 'I was sweating bullets every day waiting for my licence to come through, if it even was going to come through. 'It wasn't an easy process and Peter Tighe went into bat for me, he wrote a letter to Racing NSW saying he would support me with horses. 'The good news came via a phone call. 'And from there, I knew I had to do some serious work. 'It was just head down and arse up from there, I was really hungry. 'I was just grateful to have a training licence and to be able to do what I love to do.' After his time at Port Macquarie, Shailer stepped up his training operation by moving to the Gold Coast where he has now become a formidable training force. With support from a powerful ownership group, the former Kiwi his big dreams and wants to become a Group 1 winning trainer. It is not only his life in racing which has changed completely, but also his life outside the racing bubble. While in Port Macquarie, he met his now wife Michelle. The couple have identical twin boys, two-year-olds Hunter and Hudson, and Michelle also has six children from a previous relationship. There is never a dull moment in the Shailer household. 'This is a whole different aspect of how my life has changed, meeting Michelle was a real turning point for me,' Shailer, 46, says. 'I was a single bachelor for a long time. 'But you can only be a dickhead for so long, it takes hold. 'And at times I was a dickhead.' Shailer now has 40 horses in work on the Gold Coast and his best moment since returning to racing was when his two-year-old filly Isti Star landed a $1m race, scoring the Magic Millions National 2YO Classic on her home Gold Coast track in May.
News.com.au
24-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Warwick Farm trials to feature spring's finest, including Lady Shenandoah and Ceolwulf
Boom filly Lady Shenandoah, King Charles III Stakes victor Ceolwulf, two-time The Everest placegetter Private Eye and gun stayer Alalcance are just a few of the spring stars set to step out at Warwick Farm on Friday morning. The big names - including horse of the year in-waiting Via Sistina – have been out in force this week tuning up for the spring with the next lot of stars to have barrier trials in Sydney's west. Lady Shenandoah, Chris Waller 's winner of three Group 1s this season, will contest a 900m Group trial on the course prosper alongside Joseph Pride 's stars Ceolwulf and Private Eye. Alalcance steps out in a 1000m Group trial on the course proper with Adam Hyeronimus aboard in her first appearance since her run of three straight autumn victories came to an end abruptly in the Sydney Cup. Highly-promising stablemate Sir Delius is in the same heat with Doncaster Mile placegetter Encap. â– â– â– â– â– Champion trainer Chris Waller's move into Godolphin's Carbine Lodge base at Flemington has opened the door for father-son duo Tony and Calvin McEvoy to open up a base at the track. Waller announced this week he would be relocating his Melbourne team to iconic Flemington complex, which boasts 50 boxes at the premier racing venue. His 31-box stable came up for grabs as a result with the McEvoys taking the opportunity to have another location. The McEvoys will continue to operate their main base out of Ballarat. Meanwhile, Godolphin's prized properties of Crown Lodge at Warwick Farm and Osborne Park at Agnes Banks are yet to be snapped up. â– â– â– â– â– Punters shouldn't expect to see Golden Eagle runner-up Lazzat running in the $20 million The Everest – at least not this year. The star galloper Lazzat is an $8 chance in betting for the richest race on turf but a second trip to Australia isn't likely this spring. Trainer Jerome Reynier revealed plans to keep Lazzat's focus in Europe this carnival with an eye on returning to Australia in the future. ðŸ'� @WilliamHaggas has done it again! Lake Forest wins the $10 Million Golden Eagle with Cieren Fallon in the saddle! @aus_turf_club â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 2, 2024 'Maybe next year The Everest for him if six furlongs is really his trip,' Reynier told Nick Luck Daily. 'You never know. This year we want to make him the best European sprinter and needs to win a couple more Group 1s races at that level.' Lazzat highlighted his quality with victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes during the Royal Ascot carnival. Only four horses have been locked in for this year's The Everest after Jimmysstar was announced as the TAB's runner for 2025 earlier this week. The world's best sprinter Ka Ying Rising remains a firm $1.80 favourite.
The Guardian
23-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Trump administration deportations continue as members of Congress say Afghan man seized after green card appointment
Update: Date: 2025-07-23T11:14:58.000Z Title: Content: The US Federal Reserve's independence is under threat from mounting political interference, according to a clear majority of economists polled by Reuters, although no one expects a July interest rate cut despite a recent divergence in views among policymakers. President Donald Trump has made it almost a daily routine to personally attack Fed Chair Jerome Powell over the central bank's stance of holding rates due to tariff-related risks of higher inflation. A recent jump in inflation suggests businesses are now passing some of the tariffs onto consumers. Most Federal Market Open Committee members favor holding rates steady, but a few, including Governor Chris Waller and Trump appointee Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman, have recently advocated a reduction as soon as July 30. Powell's term is set to expire in May 2026. Waller last week said he would accept the job as the bank's head if he was offered it by Trump. Update: Date: 2025-07-23T11:14:58.000Z Title: Content: Representatives from China and the United States will meet next week in the Swedish capital Stockholm to try and hammer out a deal before an August 12 deadline agreed in May. China said it will send its vice premier to US trade talks next week to secure its own agreement after US President Donald Trump announced a 'massive' trade deal with Japan. In an attempt to slash his country's colossal trade deficit, the US president has vowed to hit dozens of countries with punitive 'reciprocal' tariffs if they do not hammer out a pact with Washington by August 1. As the clock ticks down, China said Wednesday it will seek to 'strengthen cooperation' with Washington at the talks, and confirmed vice premier He Lifeng would attend. Update: Date: 2025-07-23T11:14:58.000Z Title: Trump to outline blueprint to win the AI race Content: The Trump administration is set to release a new artificial intelligence blueprint on Wednesday that aims to relax American rules governing the industry at the center of a technological arms race between economic rivals the US and China. President Donald Trump will mark the plan's release with a speech outlining the importance of winning an AI race that is increasingly seen as a defining feature of 21st-century geopolitics, with both China and the US investing heavily in the industry to secure economic and military superiority. According to a summary seen by Reuters, the plan calls for the export of US AI technology abroad and a crackdown on state laws deemed too restrictive to let it flourish, a marked departure from former President Joe Biden's 'high fence' approach that limited global access to coveted AI chips. Top administration officials such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House National Economic Adviser Kevin Hassett are also expected to join the event titled 'Winning the AI Race,' organized by White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks and his co-hosts on the 'All-In' podcast, according to an event schedule reviewed by Reuters. Update: Date: 2025-07-23T11:14:58.000Z Title: Here is what is happening in the US today Content: The Trump administration is continuing its deportations policy, which has been described as 'human trafficking disguised as a deportation deal' by the largest opposition party in Eswatini. Civil society and opposition groups expressed outrage after the US deported five men to the country. You can read our full story here. Attorneys and members of Congress have also told how an Afghan man who moved to America after working for the US military in his home country was seized by armed, masked immigration agents, put in a van and taken out of state. Identified only as Zia by members of Congress and his attorney out of concern for his safety and that of his family, the man had worked as an interpreter for the military during the war in Afghanistan. He was in the United States legally and was arrested after an appointment in Connecticut related to his application for a green card. In other news: Bryan Kohberger, 30, a former criminal-justice doctoral student, faces life in prison without the possibility of parole or appeal under a deal with prosecutors that spared him the death penalty in return for his guilty plea to four counts of first-degree murder. The proceedings today in a county courtroom in Boise, the state capital, also will afford family members the chance to directly address Kohberger through the presentation of victim impact statements. China's foreign ministry said Washington's decision – to pull the US out of what Donald Trump called the 'woke' and 'divisive' UN culture and education agency Unesco – was 'not the behaviour expected of a responsible major country', and expressed China's staunch support of Unesco's work, its spokesperson told reporters during a press briefing on Wednesday. European shares climbed more than 1% on Wednesday, led by automobile stocks, after US President Trump revived hopes for a trade deal with the European Union after an agreement with Japan. US-funded contraceptives worth nearly $10m (£7.39m) are being sent to France from Belgium to be incinerated, after Washington rejected offers from the United Nations and family planning organisations to buy or ship the supplies to poor nations, two sources told Reuters. The US embassy in the Philippines has said the US has announced PHP3billion (£39m) in foreign assistance for the country. The dollar struggled on Wednesday, while the yen was choppy after Trump announced a trade deal with Japan, bolstering optimism for more agreements ahead of an impending tariff deadline. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against major peers, was at 97.48 after a three-day decline, hovering near its lowest level since 10 July. The gauge has lost 6.6% since Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariff announcement on 2 April.
News.com.au
22-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Via Sistina, Fangirl and more headline star-studded Randwick trials
The build up to Via Sistina's spring campaign is well and truly underway, with the nine-time Group 1 winner blowing out some cobwebs in a star-studded Randwick trial on Tuesday. It was Via Sistina 's first public appearance since claiming the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) on Day 2 of The Championships and she wasn't out there to break any records. Star stablemate Fangirl was also present in the 850m hit out and both were given quiet trials as Chris Waller aims them towards the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick next month. 'The 23rd of August they will be racing … if everything goes to plan,' Waller said. 'We allow an extra week just in case for a temperature or sore foot and things like that. 'Nine times out of 10 you need it and sometimes you will see them have an exhibition gallop if they haven't had a problem. 'It's just about being careful. You are a month away so you can imagine how much fitness is going to be done in the next month.' 1⃣ The Novelist 2⃣ More Territories 3⃣ Full Count Felicia The @GaiWaterhouse1 & Adrian Bott gelding too speedy in an 850m Kensington trial on Tuesday - behind them were Extractor, Zardozi, Tom Kitten, Fangirl and Via Sistina. @tabcomau — Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) July 21, 2025 The Novelist won the 850m hit out in a time of 51.48 seconds, covering the final 600m in 33.67s. Godolphin's Tom Kitten and Zardozi also featured in the trial – their final time heading to the races under the James Cummings banner. The second heat of the morning also featured a handful of Waller's spring brigade with Autumn Glow, Wodeton, Aeliana and Lazzura returning. The unbeaten Autumn Glow settled up on the pace and finished third in the 850m hit out, won by Palmetto in 51.20s. The last 600m was covered in 33.69s. 1⃣ Palmetto 2⃣ Beiwacht 3⃣ Autumn Glow Basically all the way for @jsargentracing 's Canberra Cup winner in the second 850m Kensington trial on Tuesday - also in this heat Manaal, Pericles, Wodeton, Lazzura and Aeliana. @tabcomau — Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) July 21, 2025 • Autumn Glow is headed towards the Group 1 Epsom Handicap, for which she's rated the $3.50 favourite in futures betting. 'She would resume in one of the sprint handicaps or set weight fillies and mares races to get to the Epsom third-up,' Waller said. Meanwhile, Waller has the Group 1 Golden Rose circled on the calendar for Wodeton, with that run to decide the rest of his spring campaign. 'He (Wodeton) looks like he has come back really well and we will go to the Golden Rose. 'Then it will be Coolmore or (Caulfield) Guineas but I think 1400m will suit him better. 'He will be ready to go before the Run To The Rose. 'We could run two or three weeks before, being up this early 'But because he went out after the Golden Slipper, they actually had a long break so he is up ready to go.' Nepotism at $4.
