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By Mark Brassel

Look out Kempsey – a trainer with a dazzling 80% winning strike rate is about to infiltrate Friday’s Akubra Cup Day.

Paul Shailer, an ex-foreman for the Chris Waller conglomerate, has led in an amazing four winners from his past five starters and he could continue the run on the mid north coast.

Port Macquarie-based trainer Paul Shailer. Image by Riverine Herald

Shailer, 42, had his own licence in New Zealand six years ago but since branching out on his own to Port Macquarie in September, has had a total of nine runners for the four wins and three placings.

“I’m lucky I started with the right horses and I am grateful for the opportunity afforded me from various owners,” Shailer said.

“I have 14 horses, but only a handful that are up and racing with a lot of two-year-olds.”

Shailer will start Top Me Up Again in Friday’s feature event, the $40,000 Akubra Kempsey Cup (1450m).

Top Me Up Again has raced just once for Shailer, finishing a close third to Liberty Sun and Charmmebaby on his home track after coming from near last.

The runner-up has since franked the form by winning last week’s Jungle Juice Cup at Newcastle.

“I watched a lot of videos of him before I got him and realised he’s a horse you’ve got to keep fresh,” Shailer explained.

“He had a wind operation and needs to be kept to around the 1200 to 1400 metre range.

“I changed his gear a little and that’s also helped. He’s come through his first-up run and a trial great and will be really competitive at Kempsey.”

Top Me Up Again impressively won a 1010m trial at Port Macquarie on October 24: “I was shocked by the time – he went 34.77 seconds over the last 600m on the bridle.

“That was two seconds faster than they finished off in the 1010m race on the day.”

Lee Magorrian will be riding Top Me Up Again in the Kempsey Cup: “Lee has ridden The Lord Mayor and others for the owners, the Stewart brothers, so he has a long association with them.”

Shailer could also be starting Laphroaig, a big winner at Grafton last Tuesday, in the $30,000 O’Donnell & Hanlon Showcase Handicap (1900m).

The winner is exempt from a ballot for the $100,000 Taree Cup (2000m) on November 21.

“We got him off the Snowdens – as with all of their horses he turned up in fantastic condition,” Shailer said.

“He’s just a quirky horse who likes to have a think about things but does possess a good turn of foot. The problem is he always falls out of the barriers.

“There was plenty of speed when he won at Grafton and he managed to tack onto the field and then sprinted down the centre of the track to win with ease.

“Kempsey is my preferred option, but I’ll leave it to the owners. He is also entered for the Country Classic at Rosehill which is a $130,000 race – it’s not every day a horse like him can race for that sort of money.

“He might scrape into the field but if not, he’ll be running at Kempsey.”

Kempsey Race Club’s John Graham said: “Akubra Kempsey Cup Day is a Racing NSW Country Showcase meeting so there’ll be a massive $252,000 in prizemoney on offer.”

Last year the Kempsey Cup was won by the Tas Morton-trained Mister Smartee who bolted in with Luke Rolls riding. The horse is expected to return and attempt back-to-back Cups.

In 2019, Upper East Side (Aaron Bullock) won the Steve Keir Memorial before Racing NSW Stewards postponed the remaining four races due to the hazardous air quality from bushfires in the region.

UPCOMING NSW COUNTRY RACE MEETINGS
Monday: Ballina, Corowa
Tuesday (Cup Day): Dubbo, Murwillumbah, Muswellbrook, Sapphire Coast, Tamworth, Taree
Wednesday: Grafton
Friday: Kempsey, Albury
Saturday: Goulburn
Sunday: Armidale, Warren