Hall of Fame Inductee
Date posted:
Congratulations
PAUL SHIERS – Darwin Racing Hall of Fame Inductee
Came to Darwin in 1997 after a successful career in Victoria and South Australia. Rode for master trainer Colin Hayes at Lindsay Park during the 1990’s, and due to increasing weight, rode over fences as well as on the flat in the southern states.
Arguably the Top End’s No 1 rider of this millennium. Was the Darwin Cup Carnival’s leading jockey in 2009, 2011 and 2013.
Record speaks for itself, with a multitude of feature race wins, including 9 Darwin Guineas, 6 NT Derbies and 3 Palmerston Sprints. The only major to have eluded him is the Darwin Cup, in which he has been placed four times second and twice third.
Has ridden the first two legs of the Triple Crown on no less than four occasions, with Brad Star (2007), Hawks Bay (2009), Host Of The Party (2013) and Poet’s Landing (2019) all winning the Guineas and Derby before missing out in the Cup.
A heavyweight rider who struggles to ride much under 57kg, Paul is nevertheless regarded as the best of the best in the Top End. A brilliant judge of pace, he is equally at home on a front-running sprinter as he is in the 2000m of the Derby. He also excels on three-year-olds, as evidenced by his peerless record in the Guineas and Derby.