Winx owner Peter Tighe spending big to make partnership with Queensland trainer Paul Shailer a success

Peter Tighe became well-known as an owner through Winx and Chris Waller, but now he has big plans in racing for Waller’s former right-hand man Paul Shailer.

Owner Peter Tighe became a household name through the Winx phenomenon, but now he wants to put someone else on the map.

Tighe has joined forces with Chris Waller’s former offsider Paul Shailer and the pair have exciting plans for major success in racing in the coming years.

Tighe has more than a dozen horses with Shailer who this year moved to train at the Gold Coast after a period where he was based at Port Macquarie in NSW.

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The duo aren’t doing things by halves, with millions of dollars being spent on bloodstock with more to come.

Tighe has got other big-name owners such as Neil Werrett, Max Whitby and Noel Greenhalgh into Shailer-trained horses.

The business is deadly serious about making a bang in racing in the coming months and years, shooting for the stars to win Group 1s and other major races.

“I don’t want to just buy a horse so I can go to the Gold Coast races and have a beer with someone,” Tighe told Racenet.

Paul Shailer with the Peter Tighe-owned Mister Bianco, who is aiming for a hat-trick of wins at Doomben on Saturday. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography

“I am buying a horse because I want to end up with big-race winners or breeding prospects.

“You can’t just go to the sales and buy a $30,000 horse and think they are going to win Group 1s for you.

“You are probably kidding yourself if you are thinking that, even though there is the odd really good one who comes through.

“Paul Shailer was Chris Waller’s best man at his wedding and he came to Australia with Chris and he and Chris put all the systems in place together.

“Pretty much whatever Chris Waller has done, Paul Shailer has done with him.

“His knowledge of horses is second to none.

“His background is in horses and horses and horses.

“He’s a real horseman.”

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Peter and Patty Tighe, part of the ownership team of Winx, photographed at the world premier of A Horse Named Winx in Sydney. Picture: Tom Parrish

The Tighe/Shailer combo will be seen at Doomben on Saturday when Mister Bianco, wearing Winx’s famous Magic Bloodstock colours, shoots for three consecutive wins.

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Mister Bianco is a $4.80 chance in the QTIS 3YO Handicap (1350m) where he will be forced to lump the big weight of 60kg and start from the widest barrier.

“Next week we are trialling a few horses and I think there could be some really good ones among them,” Tighe said.

“They are the sort of horses who, if they are good enough, could take Paul (Shailer) somewhere.

Mister Bianco makes it two from three as he wins at @SCTurfClub! pic.twitter.com/7GuIE6fO2g

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 10, 2024

“Mister Bianco was a $70,000 ‘hope for the best’ kind of horse.

“Paul has taken that horse, with his ability to train him and get him ready, to win some races and is reaping the rewards.

“How far he can go we don’t know.

“He has got barrier 10 with 60kg on Saturday, so that’s a real test.

“But we do think he’s got the ability to go onto better things, so if that’s the case he probably has to win on Saturday.”

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Tighe will be watching Mister Bianco from Sydney as he will be on track at Randwick for the running of the Group 1 Winx Stakes, named after the mighty once-in-a-lifetime mare that Tighe part-owned.

Originally published as Winx owner Peter Tighe spending big to make partnership with Queensland trainer Paul Shailer a success