Kelvin Tyler was unstoppable on his home track over the Easter weekend, and he’ll be hoping for more of the same with a big team lining up at Riverton on Friday.
Tyler won six races across the two-day carnival, including four when combining with Central Districts apprentice jockey Amber Riddell. The rising hoop will travel to the deep south again to partner a number of Tyler’s representatives, including the ever-consistent mare Go Lotte in the Doug Horrell Contracting/Ricki Egerton Dagging Handicap (1600m).
The pair won the Francolin Stakes (1400m) at that meeting before Go Lotte ran seventh in the Listed Great Easter Stakes (1400m), her last appearance as Tyler opted to scratch her off Riccarton’s synthetic track on Saturday.
“She stayed up for the week (after the Easter) and came home on Friday, she’s quite a hardy traveller now so it didn’t seem to worry her too much,” Tyler said. “She’s good as gold and racing well
“It was a really good run, she’s always been a handy wee horse and every time we go to the big stage, she’s just been a couple of lengths off them. Her run was still good in the Easter, she was hitting the line nicely, but back to the lower grade open handicaps are probably best for her.”
The daughter of Telperion will be joined by stablemates Albatross and King Of The Castle, the latter also not suited to the change of surface in Canterbury and was scratched from the Easter Cup (1600m) last Saturday.
“The 2000m was probably a bit far for him (King Of The Castle) in the Canterbury Gold Cup (Gr.3), he loomed up on the turn and back to a mile is probably his best distance,” Tyler said.
“It’s only a small field and from what he’s done, he should be pretty competitive.
“Albatross on the way up really, up to a mile is probably her favourite distance and the wetter the better for her. She’s a really clean-winded horse so I think she’ll be hitting a bit of form soon.
“Her work has been really good.”
Last-start maiden winner Flash Roca has continued to improve since her success at the course over Easter, making her a real threat in the Riverton Fresh Choice / Barnes Oysters / Riverside Rentals Handicap (1200m) before she heads to the paddock.
“She’s come through that run really well, she’s had a quiet time, so we’ve brought her back to 1200, I didn’t want to bottom her out on a heavy track,” Tyler said.
“She’ll probably go out for a spell but going forward I think she’s going to be a really nice horse. I quite like her.”
Reprobate is another recent victor aiming to building on that form on Friday, contesting the Otautau Farmlands / Uncle Bucks Second Hand Shop Handicap (1400m). As he did over Easter, Tyler will look to back up the gelding at Invercargill on Sunday.
“He loves the quick back-up and he’s a tough little horse,” Tyler said. “He’ll do the same with the 1400 on Friday and then up to a mile on Sunday.
“He’s come through his racing really well and hopefully he can hold his form.”
While Tyler will keep an eye on his local meetings, he will do so in the sunshine of Queensland, with his promising three-year-old Freddie Time taking on the Brisbane Winter Carnival over the coming weeks.
The trip has been far from smooth so far, with delayed flights and a missed run on Saturday keeping plans up in the air.
“He’ll go to Sydney (Tuesday) and stay there before floating up to Caloundra and arriving there about mid-morning on Thursday,” Tyler said.
“I really wanted to give him a run at Riccarton so that’s really thrown a spanner in the works, but there is a couple of lead-up races over there.
“There is the Rough Habit (Gr.3, 2000m), or three days later there is a nice three-year-old race at Ipswich on the 31st. His main target is the Queensland Derby (Gr.1, 2400m), if he’s up to that and does everything right. “We’ve been there a little bit, so we know our way around now. We’ve got a nice apartment on the beach so it’s a holiday for the humans and the horses.”