3 minute read
Kiwi trainer Paul Shailer reckons his dual northern winner Devocean (a $26 to $19 TAB firmer) has ample in his favour to bite the bookies and betting agencies, and won’t be poison odds either in Saturday’s Royal Randwick TAB Highway.
Intriguingly, the imposing gelding races in a huge creepy black Spider logo with cobwebs on the cap with blue and red attire.
"We've had some fun with that as one of his owners is a huge Spiderman fan, we get asked all the time - same Saturday I'd reckon," chuckled the former decade long Chris Waller foreman.
Paul Shailer has made a strong impression training a substantial team out of Port Macquarie but is now eyeing off a move to the Gold Coast.
Apart from the humour of the silks, Devocean is turning into a serious galloper with three wins from eight starts overall.
And overpowering in his past two at a 'mile' on the northern rivers.
"Apart from the gear you won't miss him in the yard, he's a cracking type and with a lot in his favour," enthused Paul.
The trainer is a Highway series regular as the Ocean Park (NZ) five-year-old carries 54.5kg for Dylan Gibbons in the $120,000, Class 3, 1800m.
"He's coming off two strong wins, the upside is there, he drops a stack in weight, inside draw and form jockey - yep lot to like.
"We'll use the draw (2) to be in the first few, you can't get back in big fields the way the tracks have been playing down there.
On extremely fast tracks at Royal Randwick last Saturday and the Kensington Track on Wednesday, track and class records were smashed.
Shailer is confident out to 1800m for the first time presents no problems with Devocean.
"He has closed off really strong from back in the field at a 'mile' Taree and Ballina with 59kg and 60kg and he drops to 54.5kg at the top of his game.
"We bought him from New Zealand at the end of his preparation when he'd had enough, so we turned him out.
"He's come back super this prep and we've build him out to his right distance range."
In another typically wide open episode, Goulburn galloper Amarantz is the $3.40 TAB favourite ahead of Matthew Dunn's Whodat ($4.40) and another of Dunn's I Am Good At This ($7).
