A familiar face will make a long-awaited return when the Darwin Turf Club hosts its Australia Day meeting at Fannie Bay.
Paul Shiers, a highly-successful jockey in the NT for the past 25 years, is back from injury and has four rides on the six-event program.
He will partner Tayarn Halter’s gelding Beachhaven in the $40,000 TRNT Off The Track Lightning Wet Season Final (1200m) for the 0-70 class and the five-year-old is a strong contender.
Purchased at the 2022 Magic Millions Tried Horse Sale in late July during the Darwin Cup Carnival, the son of Exceed And Excel made it a successful NT debut with victory over 1200m (Class 2) in Heat 4 of the Wet Season Series on December 9.
Beachhaven then backed up to win over 1300m (Class 2) on New Year’s Eve and earlier this week he was a $2.80 favourite for the Final.
Casey Hunter and then Vanessa Arnott partnered Beachhaven in his first two races in the tropics, but Shiers secured the ride on Thursday as he usually rides regularly for the Halter stable.
Beachhaven’s hopes in the Final were further enhanced when he drew gate one in the 10-horse field.
Shiers last appeared at Fannie Bay on October 22 when he booted The Kid home for Halter – and that also marked a significant milestone as it was his 400th career win.
A shoulder injury suffered while playing table tennis sidelined him for the past 13 weeks, but it’s all systems go for the experienced hoop who has ridden 298 winners in Darwin.
Starting out as a 15-year-old apprentice in country NSW in 1988, Shiers had the opportunity to also ride in Victoria, SA and WA before relocating to the NT.
Shiers, a storeman for a steel products business away from racing, boasts an exceptional Darwin Cup Carnival CV having won the Darwin Guineas nine times, the NT Derby seven times and the Palmerston Sprint four times.
The Darwin Cup has escaped the grasp of the 50-year-old who has endured weight issues over the years, but he has come awfully close having finished second four times and third on two occasions.
He finished second in the Top End and Country jockey’s premiership last season behind Jarrod Todd (44) with 30.5 wins, and he already had seven wins on the board this season before his untimely interruption.
Just like the entire NT racing community, Todd welcomes Shiers’ return.
“Yeah, bloody oath, he’s been what you’d say a legend or an icon of NT racing for a long time,” he said.
“You only have to look at his statistics to work that out.
“He’s a very astute and accomplished jockey, and just a really good all-round top bloke that would do anything for you.
“It’s great to have him back in the riding ranks and it’s good to have some really strong competition.
“Paul is much respected – young people look up to him and he’ll give them the time of day, and he’s willing to help everyone and everyone that asks for his help.
“I’m a senior like him, but he’s been around a bit longer than me and I respected him when I first came up here.
“I came up here knowing that he was one of the better riders up here and he’s just a humble person.
“He’s also happy to answer any questions you’ve got, especially young kids coming through or even those in the senior ranks.
“He’s had a lot of experience, so if you want to go to someone he’s the man.”
There were seven heats in the Wet Season Series for the mid-range sprinters at a 0-64, 0-58, BM54 and Class 2 level from 1000-1300m from November 12-January 14.
Kick-starting his career in NSW in August 2020, Beachhaven had six starts with his best effort a fourth in a 1400m maiden at Warwick Farm for trainer Chris Waller.
He then ended up in Victoria and raced for Warrnambool trainer Maddie Raymond on seven occasions where he managed a first career win in a 1412m maiden in Geelong before a second over 1110m (BM58) at Werribee.
Before Halter purchased the horse for $16,000, Beachhaven raced once in SA for a sixth over 1200m (BM60) at Murray Bridge last May before his final start in Victoria resulted in a sixth over 1200m (0-58) at Casterton in June.
Todd will partner Angela Forster’s five-year-old mare Zoumist in the Wet Season Series Final.
“Her run two starts back was pretty good when she came third,” he said.
“She’s probably meets a field that’s really going to test her and she’s going to have to be at her best.
“Based on the weights, I give her a rough chance – she’s not the worst.
“If things go her way she can definitely sort of hopefully figure in the finish somewhere.”
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