Kelvin Tyler will be represented by young and old at the Grand National opener on Saturday at Riccarton Park, including a pair of promising juveniles stepping out at three for the first time.
The aptly-named Four The Moment and Fourofus will go head-to-head in the Christchurch Casino 30th South Island Awards – 12 September Three-Year-Old (1200m), both appearing off a spell after they quinellaed the Excellency Stakes (1100m) in April on their home course of Riverton.
Only a nose could split them on that occasion and Tyler expects a similar margin on Saturday, albeit with one to have the upper hand in the future.
“There wasn’t much between them there, but Four The Moment is top shelf, he’s one of the better horses I’ve ever had,” he said.
“I didn’t really want the rain to come with him as he’s still got a bit of improvement to come, but going forward, I think he’ll go right through the grades quickly.
“Fourofus is a neat wee horse, he tries hard and the wet track won’t bother him. He’s probably looking for a bit more ground in time, but he’s a bit more forward than Four The Moment so I can’t really split them on Saturday.”
A son of Proisir, Four The Moment was bred by Tyler, his wife Vanessa, brother Allan and sister-in-law Marie. Fourofus, a Tivaci gelding, is also raced by the extended family, having been purchased for just $5,000 as a weanling.
“We bred Four The Moment with my brother and sister-in-law, so we go horse for horse with their colours (blue and white) and our colours (pink and white),” Tyler said. “I don’t mind whose colours they wear, as long as the cheque comes in.”
In his more experienced contingent heading north is King Of The Castle, a nine-year-old Australian stakes performer who looked to be back on track when closing for fifth in an open sprint at Oamaru.
King Of The Castle, alongside stablemates Vamos and Albatross, will take their place in the Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations 128th Winter Cup (1600m) – a race Tyler won exactly a decade ago with Timy Tyler.
“He (King Of The Castle) is a different horse this time in, I think he’s just taken a little bit to adjust to our New Zealand way of training,” Tyler said. “I can’t fault him, his work is really good.
“He’d probably prefer a better track, I was hoping it would stay around a (soft) 7, so that would be the only question mark there.
“Vamos at that awkward rating of 78, so he’s either got to carry a tonne of weight in a 75, or the bottom of the opens. He’s another that I can’t fault, he tries hard and deserves his chance.
“His work has been outstanding, so he’d be a good smoky.
“Albatross was very disappointing at Oamaru, but she does struggle in those puggy tracks. A wet, loose track would help her.
“She’s a runner’s chance, they let you down a couple of times and you lose a bit of faith but she seems bright and happy, so we’ve got to take it on trust.”
Tyler elected to bypass the feature with Master Marko, instead focussing on the open 1400m contest that he won 12 months ago during the carnival. But, after seeing a smaller field in the Speight’s Summit Ultra On Tap Open (1200m), he took the opportunity to give the Contributer gelding a hit out on the grass.
“I wasn’t going to run him on Saturday, but with the smaller field, I thought he could use the gallop, instead of galloping on the poly track and risk hurting him,” Tyler said.
“He’s not really a 1200m horse, he’s more of a miler, but he wasn’t quite forward enough to go to the Winter Cup so I thought I would look after him and run over 1400 on the last day.
“He’s a tough horse and he won’t need to do much during the week, that’s the plan.”
