Latest news with #PaulShailer
The Australian
01-08-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Trainer Paul Shailer reveals 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. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! '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.' Paul Shailer. Picture: Grant Peters / Trackside Photography • 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.' Peter Tighe, pictured with Winx's four Cox Plates, has been a key support for Paul Shailer. Picture: Zak Simmonds • Orman praises Jones after 'deserving' title success 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.' Paul Shailer with his wife Michelle and two-year-old twins Hudson (left) and Hunter (right). Picture: Supplied by Paul Shailer. 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. Trainer Paul Shailer at the races with his wife Michelle. Picture: Grant Peters / Trackside Photography 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
01-08-2025
- 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
11-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michael Rodd outlines broken hand recovery
Melbourne Cup winner Michael Rodd faces another month or more on the sidelines after having his broken hand surgically repaired and secured with a small metal plate and screws. Rodd plunged off a horse at trackwork in Brisbane on the morning of the Ipswich Cup on June 21, missing the winning ride on Paul Shailer 's classy three-year-old Mister Bianco who was ridden to victory by Andrew Mallyon in a $150,000 race. The Queensland-based jockey has gone under the surgeon's knife and is upbeat about his recovery time frame following the unusual incident. 'I came down when a horse put his head between his legs and started pig rooting and got me off balance,' Rodd said. 'I hit my right hand on the ground and it came down really heavy. 'The scans showed a fracture in my hand and I had to have surgery, it needed a small plate and a screw in there to speed up the healing process. 'The next day I started physiotherapy straight away, just to get everything moving around it. 'It is probably another four to five weeks until I can return to ride, just until I can start getting proper movement. 'I have a small cast on at the moment to protect the area and I am doing a lot of hand therapy.' Rodd will be cheering from afar as Kyle Wilson-Taylor rides Mister Bianco as the $3.60 favourite, carrying 61kg and starting from a wide barrier, in the QTIS 3YO Handicap over 1350m at Doomben on Saturday. Mister Bianco was a late scratching from last Saturday's Group 3 Winx Guineas when Shailer could not find a suitable replacement rider after Ryan Maloney was injured earlier in the day. Rodd is Mister Bianco's regular rider, having partnered the Peter Tighe-owned galloper in three of his five career wins. Three wins on the trot to Mister Bianco as he wins at @IpswichTurfClub today! ðŸ'�ðŸ'�ðŸ'� @mallyon_andrew @RacingShailer @RaceQLD — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 21, 2025 • From Uruguay to Rockhampton – meet racing's new 'magic man' 'It hurts a little bit to miss the ride on him given the work that I've put into him, but it is good to see him keep winning,' Rodd said. 'It wasn't much fun on the day I got injured when I was laying there in hospital and I watched him win. 'But I don't have too much to stress about going forward. 'I will miss a bit of riding during the winter months, but will then be back into it.' Mister Bianco makes it two from three as he wins at @SCTurfClub! — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 10, 2024 Meanwhile, Rodd feels like he has conquered his battle with post-concussion syndrome, which at one stage kept him out of racing for 30 months. Despite being told a number of times his riding career was over, Rodd kept up his rehabilitation and has returned to being a formidable riding force. 'I'm all good, that is a long way behind me now,' Rodd said. 'I've been really fortunate. 'I think I just rehabbed it properly and went through the process, it has all been fine for a long time.'
News.com.au
09-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Paul Shailer hits back at criticism to scratch Winx Guineas favourite Mister Bianco
Paul Shailer has hit back at criticism of his decision to scratch Mister Bianco from last weekend's Group 3 Winx Guineas (1600m), with the Gold Coast trainer insisting there were no suitable jockeys to ride the temperamental gelding. Shailer refuted suggestions that there were senior riders available to steer Mister Bianco in the Winx Guineas following a back injury to Ryan Maloney in an earlier race at the Sunshine Coast last Saturday, adding that he was 'comfortable' with the decision. in an industry that relied heavily on wagering turnover. However, Shailer insisted he had no option but to scratch Mister Bianco given the lack of experienced jockeys available on the day. The gelding's regular riders Michael Rodd (broken hand) and Andrew Mallyon (holidays) were unavailable to ride a horse that needed a jockey with 'quiet hands'. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott -trained The Three Hundred ended up taking out the Winx Guineas, thanks to a superb ride from in-form hoop Angela Jones. 'He was the favourite in a $300,000 race so obviously we had every intention of running the horse,' Shailer said. After learning of Maloney's injury, Shailer approached stewards, who told him there were only three jockeys available to ride Mister Bianco – apprentice Corey Sutherland, Adam Sewell and Scott Sheargold. Three hundred reasons to cheer! 🥳 The Three Hundred leads all the way in the G3 Winx Guineas at @SCTurfClub! Ange Jones with a winning double. @GaiWaterhouse1 @TrilogyRacing1 — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 5, 2025 'Corey has ridden for me before and I've got no problem with him,' Shailer said. 'He's an apprentice who's just been granted his metropolitan licence so I certainly didn't think he'd be a suitable replacement. 'I say this with the utmost respect but these are the facts – Adam Sewell hasn't ridden a winner in his last 50 rides and he's only had one metropolitan ride in his last 50 rides. 'Scott has ridden two winners in his last 50 rides – one at Dalby and one at Kilcoy. 'He's had one metropolitan ride in his last 50, being at the Sunshine Coast on a Saturday on a horse that was 200-1. 'I've got nothing against these jockeys, I'm sure they're great human beings. 'But when they've got 100 rides between them and they've ridden two winners and they're riding the favourite in a $300,000 race on a horse that's been a work in progress and has its vices, I felt it wouldn't be fair to the punters or my connections that the horse goes around. 'My connections and myself were all in agreement that it was best for the horse's welfare and benefit that we scratch and save him for another day. 'Whether that's our right or not, people have their views on it and they're entitled to that, but we're entitled to our views on it.' Kyle Wilson-Taylor Doomben, before going for a spell.
News.com.au
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
2025 Winx Guineas: Owner Peter Tighe's Mister Bianco trying to win the race that started mighty mare's winning streak
Winx's part-owner Peter Tighe won't be in Australia when his gelding Mister Bianco contests the Group 3 Winx Guineas (1600m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday but trainer Paul Shailer still likes the 'romance' in the story. Tighe is spending a few weeks on holiday in the United States, where he will attend a screening of the Janine Hosking-directed movie A Horse Named Winx at the end of this month in Arizona. But it will still be a momentous occasion for Tighe if three-year-old Mister Bianco can take out the $300,000 race named after the mighty mare who captured the hearts of racing fans on a global scale. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! In 2015 Winx produced a remarkable last-to-first surge to secure the race, then known as the Sunshine Coast Guineas, marking the start of the superstar's amazing 33-race winning streak before her retirement in April 2019. That was the last time Tighe had a runner in the field and it would be an emotion-charged victory if Mister Bianco can salute in the owner's Magic Bloodstock colours in the Winx Guineas, although the task was made a bit tougher after the $3.30 favourite drew barrier 17 out of 18 on Wednesday. Winx's incredible win in the Sunshine Coast Guineas (now the Winx Guineas) in 2015 was the start of her 33-win streak! 🤩 — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 2, 2025 • 'He's in Arizona, he's having a month over there,' Gold Coast -based Kiwi trainer Shailer said about Tighe. 'He's having a good time, although he told me it's about 44C over there. The Winx movie is on over there at the end of the month so he'll be going to the screening of that. 'He hasn't had a runner (in the Winx Guineas) since Winx so there's a bit of romance to the story.' Shailer turned to jockey Ryan Maloney to steer Mister Bianco this Saturday after regular riders Michael Rodd (broken hand) and Andrew Mallyon, who had joined Craig Williams on a humanitarian mission to Ukraine, were unavailable. Three wins on the trot to Mister Bianco as he wins at @IpswichTurfClub today! ðŸ'�ðŸ'�ðŸ'� @mallyon_andrew @RacingShailer @RaceQLD — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 21, 2025 • Kosciuszko build-up begins without defending champ 'He's one of only three jockeys who have won on him and it's pretty important with that horse that he gets a rider who's familiar with him so we're pretty happy to engage him,' Shailer said. 'He's just a horse that lacks confidence and you've got to go with him and trick him into thinking that he's in control. 'The more you fight him, he just gets aggressive and resents it, so he always needs a rider with lovely quiet hands. 'Andrew, Michael and Ryan are those sort of riders and they really suit him.' Mister Bianco is shooting for his fourth straight victory this weekend following his last-start triumph in the $150,000 TL Cooney (1350m) at Ipswich on June 21. The son of Zousain leads the Winx Guineas betting market ahead of the only other horses in single figures – Millie De Lune ($4.60) and Apuntar ($8.50). 'Most horses get better with time and with another prep under his belt, he should be no exception,' Shailer said. 'Once he has this run and then goes for a break, he'll come back a better horse, I'm sure of it. 'He's racing well. There's still a question mark about him ticking the 1600m box. 'The weather shouldn't affect his chances because he goes well on both dry and rain-affected tracks so he's pretty versatile in that manner. 'It's important there's a genuine tempo for him to sit off because that's when he races at his best.'
