Victory in the Winx Guineas would cap off a carnival where hard work and staying grounded has paid off for trainer Paul Shailer.
Wins in the million-dollar Magic Millions National Classic (1200m) with Isti Star who then finished second at listed level on Stradbroke Handicap Day, Deep Focus’ placing in the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m), and Mister Bianco’s rise as a Winx Guineas contender is where Shailer is hoping that he can cap off his first main shot at the Queensland Racing Carnival and round it out in the best way possible.
“He came through the win at Ipswich really well, he has been working well and is set to turn up in good shape,” Shailer said of Mister Bianco with reference to the gelding’s win in the T L Cooney Stakes (1350m) on June 21.
“He is always a horse that has shown us a bit of talent but getting inside his head has been the hardest part.
“He is not a straightforward horse and maybe we forced the issue a little bit early days and it was all happening a bit too soon for him, but he seems to be coming of age and we thought we would have him peaking at the end of the carnival at the right time.”
Mister Bianco is the $3 favourite for the 1600-metre Group 3 feature at Sunshine Coast on Saturday with the Matthew Smith-trained Mille De Lune next at $4.50.
With the support of Peter Tighe and other co-owners of champion mare Winx who are also in the ownership of Mister Bianco, there is an obvious sentimentality about winning this race.
Since moving to his current Gold Coast base from Port Macquarie 18 months ago, it is less a matter of a strong turnaround in form for the stable, but more the planning and preparation coming together.
“I don’t care how good a trainer you are, you can’t get slow horses to run fast,” Shailer added.
“We’re grateful for the quality of horses that we have in the stable at the moment and we don’t take it for granted.
“We will have learnt a lot from this carnival.”
Of Shailer’s other top performers, two-year-old revelation Isti Star will return to work on Monday after a short break with two races in Melbourne in mind before returning home with a view towards Magic Millions Day.
The Listed Cap D’Antibes Stakes (1100m) down the Flemington straight on September 13 followed by the Group 3 Scarborough Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley are the outings Shailer has planned for the filly.
