Shailer to send out three-pronged attack on Doomben’s Bill Carter Stakes
Bundall-based trainer Paul Shailer has revealed he is ‘pretty proud’ of the three horses he will saddle in Saturday’s Bill Carter Stakes (Listed, 1350m) at Doomben as the trainer keeps one eye on Eagle Farm next month.
Shailer’s trio is headed by Ha’penny Hatch, who became the first winner for Windsor Park Stud’s first-season sire Circus Maxmimus (Galileo) when she broke her maiden at Eagle Farm in March.
In three starts to date, the filly has proven a shrewd acquisition for Shailer and her connections, following up her debut victory over 1200 metres with another victory, this time over 1400 metres. She was seen running a last-start second in the Calaway Gal Stakes (Listed, 1200m), beaten less than a length by the unbeaten winner Dragonne Rouge (Dracarys).
A sixth placing in a barrier trial since that latest effort on April 26 has blown away the cobwebs for Ha’penny Hatch as she comes into this weekend’s contest off a three-week gap.
“She’s going really good and has done a good job so far in her career being stakes-placed already,” Shailer told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“She’s also won at 1400 metres so that [1350-metre trip on Saturday] is of no concern to us. She took in a quiet trial on Tuesday morning where she just went through the motions and did everything right.
“I couldn’t really be any happier with where she’s at right now and she will turn up to the races in good order.”
Ha’penny Hatch has not been handed a kind draw this weekend – a theme that also haunts Shailer’s other runners – with the filly set to jump from barrier 11 under Damien Thornton who has been aboard for all three of the $7 chance’s starts.
“She’s got a sticky barrier to deal with but there’s a nice run down the back straight at Doomben from the 1350-metre start so hopefully Damien can find a nice spot for her and if he does, she’ll be competitive,” Shailer said.
“We never asked her for any real effort at all in Tuesday’s trial, it was just to get her out in the day given it’ll be three weeks between runs. I was really happy with the way she came through it.”
Bred by Mr and Mrs Rodger Finlay, Ha’penny Hatch was consigned by Wentwood Grange at Book 1 of last year’s NZB Karaka Yearling Sale and was purchased for just NZ$33,000 by her trainer and Hughes Bloodstock from the Wentwood Grange draft at NZB Karaka Book 1, a buy that has already been repaid in dividends.
“She was actually one of the cheapest horses bought in Book 1 that year so she’s been a good purchase,” Shailer said.
“We actually had her revalued the other day for insurance purposes and they valued her as $300,000 now so she’s done her job on that front already.”
The filly is from a strong Kiwi family. She is second foal and first winner out of the Wellington Guineas (Gr 2, 1400m) winner Emily Margaret (Pins), herself out of Seven Schillings (O’Reilly) – New Zealand’s top-rated filly in 2009.
A date with next month’s J.J. Atkins Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) at Eagle Farm could be on the cards for Ha’penny Hatch should she run well this weekend.
“If she runs top three in this and runs well then she will press on to the J.J. Atkins Stakes for sure,” Shailer added.
Shailer will also send out consistent filly On Point Pixie, a daughter of Heroic Valour (Fastnet Rock) who has placed in all four of her outings so far.
Having run a one-length third behind subsequent Calaway Gal winner Dragonne Rouge, On Point Pixie has since finished runner-up on two occasions while also producing another third placing. Her four runs to date have come over distances ranging from 1000 metres to 1400 metres.
“She’s been consistent and ran behind some handy types too, horses that are heading to the [BRC] Sires’ [Produce Stakes] and the J.J. [Atkins],” Shailer said.
“I think she’s been racing really well and she is another one that is proven at the 1400-metre trip already.”
On Point Pixie has landed barrier 13 for the Bill Carter – the widest gate of Shailer’s trio – and will have the services of Kerrin McEvoy for the first time. Thursday’s market had the filly priced at $19.
“Again, another one with a sticky barrier but she tries very hard and what she lacks maybe in talent she makes up in effort so she deserves her chance at black-type,” Shailer said.
Another common narrative with Shailer’s three runners is their purchase price, with all of them being acquired for $40,000 or less. On Point Pixie was the cheapest of all – coming in at $15,000 at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale when bought by Shailer out of the Raheen Stud draft.
“She is another that has done a great job,” the trainer added. “Julian Blaxland is our bloodstock agent around here at the sales and he pointed her out.
“I thought then she was great value for the money and with the prize-money she’s already earned she’s paid for herself and some.”
That prize-money haul currently stands at $57,300 courtesy of her four placings, while a top-three finish in this weekend’s $160,000 Listed race would guarantee a haul of at least $14,500 – and a potential crack at the J.J. Atkins.
“That will depend on how well she runs, she has to run well for that,” Shailer said on the prospect of On Point Pixie tackling the mile Group 1 on June 14.
“But if she does [run well] and comes through the race fine then it is certainly an avenue that we will look to go down.”
The Shailer-trained trio is rounded out by $151 outsider Kahlua Girl, a filly by Newhaven Park’s first-season sire Cool Aza Beel (Savabeel) who had produced three placed efforts prior to a last-start sixth in the Ken Russell Memorial Classic (Gr 3, 1200m) at the Gold Coast on May 10.
That sixth-placed result has both positives and negatives – the negative being she was beaten 12.2 lengths at the finish but the positive coming from the fact that the winner Beadman (Snitzel) was actually at least eight lengths ahead of every other rival.
Run on a Heavy 8 surface, the Ken Russell result saw Kahlua Girl finish 3.9 lengths off Sunrays (Hellbent) – who dominated the market for the Bill Carter Stakes on Thursday at $2.35 – and Shailer feels his filly could be slightly overpriced this weekend.
“She was a little bit stuck in the mud there but also got shuffled back in the field and was sixth behind an extremely dominant winner,” Shailer said.
“We’re under no illusions that this is her toughest task to date, but I just thought the field that has assembled [for the Bill Carter] lacked a bit of depth and if she was ever going to deserve another go at black-type then this would be it.
“She has to prove herself at the distance but she has the blinkers on for the first time and worked extremely well in them through the week.
“I think her price is probably a bit overs to be honest, I do think she will run better than those odds suggest, but she’s definitely our third seed that’s for sure.”
The most expensive of Shailer’s Bill Carter trio – being a $40,000 buy for the trainer, Julian Blaxland Bloodstock, and High Calibre Racing out of Newhaven Park at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale – Kahlua Girl landed barrier nine at the draw and will be ridden by Michael Rodd.
“The stall is still not great, I wasn’t dealt a very good hand it seems,” Shailer said of his fillies’ gate woes.
“I’m pretty proud of the horses that are lining up in this race, they were cheap fillies and have done well to get to the stage where they are at.
“Saturday’s isn’t their grand final either, there’s a couple of big races ahead of them if they were to run well.”