Shailer taking bigger steps in training career

By Glenn Davis

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

That famous Chinese proverb could well relate to former New Zealander Paul Shailer.

Shailer worked for more than a decade for Sydney’s champion trainer Chris Waller before moving to the Gold Coast to launch the stable’s Queensland satellite team a few years back.

He later branched out on his own and moved to Port Macquarie for a short two-year period before relocating back to the Gold Coast about 12 months ago.

In that time, Shailer has been supported by high-profile backers such as Peter Tighe, of Winx fame, fruiterer Darren Frame and publican Brian Hooper who have helped him build a strong stable of 40 horses in work.

“Things are going okay at the moment and I’ve got some great support from Peter, Darren and Brian,” Shailer said.

“I spent 10 years working for Chris at Rosehill and four years with him when he opened his Gold Coast stables.

“I moved to Port Macquarie for a couple of years to train on my own and now I’ve got a strong team at the Gold Coast.”

Shailer will head to Ipswich on Thursday with Guarded Optimist in the Class 1 Handicap over 1666 metres and Canavese in the Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1350 metres.

He will make a late call whether Canavese goes around.

He has also warned Guarded Optimist could be vulnerable despite his recent second to the David Vandyke-trained Ferino in an 1800 metre Class 1 Handicap at Eagle Farm on March 12.

“He had a spike in his temperature after his last run so I gave him a few days out in the farm,” Shailer said.

“He’s back in distance to 1600 metres which won’t help him.

“I would have preferred to step him up in distance so they may be too sharp for him over a mile.

“He was originally trained in Melbourne by the Freedmans but we picked him up for $3,000 at an online auction.

“I think he’ll get out to 2000 metres and if he does it’ll open a few more doors for him.”

Shailer has a good opinion of Canavese who hasn’t started since beating one home in the Group 3 Grand Prix on a heavy track at Eagle Farm in the middle of December.

“He’s a talented horse and has come back well from his break,” Shailer said.

“In his only other start he won well on debut at the Gold Coast before we threw him in the deep end for the Grand Prix.

“I got him for $NZ 40,000 from the Ready To Run sales in New Zealand and he might be a Queensland Guineas horse.

“Otherwise, I might aim him for something like the Sunshine Coast Guineas later in the winter carnival.”