Kelvin Tyler ticked off another milestone in his training career at Ascot Park on Saturday, bringing up his 400th winner with progressive gelding Monaghan Boy.
The Riverton-based horseman has been a prominent figure in the South Island racing scene for well over a decade, while also successfully campaigning horses such as Lightning Jack, Lady Sass, Master Marko and Prince Alby in the north in recent seasons.
Closer to home, Tyler had a big team of runners engaged on Southland Guineas Day and secured a winning double, bringing up the 400th domestic success with the first of those in Monaghan Boy. A gelding by Ghibellines, Monaghan Boy had been lightly-raced with just eight starts under his belt, the most recent of those coming the previous weekend at Wingatui where he finished seventh behind Cherryville.
Coming back to his favoured 1400m range, Monaghan Boy looked a big danger under a featherlight 52.5kg and hit the lead at the top of the straight, never being headed to score by three-quarters of a length to Whiny Meow.
Tyler had been confident of a bold showing and was rapt with the performance.
“I thought he came into the race really well, he had a nice claimer on his back and had 52.5kg,” Tyler said. “I think he likes the tighter turning track and at 1400m, I thought he’d be quite hard to beat.
“Originally I was going to try and qualify him for the ODT Southern Mile Final, but I think the mile seems to undo him a little bit. There is a nice 1400m on that day, so he’ll come into that nicely as well I think.”
The victory was Monaghan Boy’s third in nine starts, earning over $67,000 for the Carriers Arms Racing Syndicate.
Two races later, Tyler was back in the winner’s circle with Quick Call, who bounced back into winning form at the right time in the $50,000 Rating 65 contest. The daughter of Turn Me Loose had been badly hampered in a fall last-start and entered Saturday’s race a $20 chance, but she defied those odds with a gusty effort to score by a length to Float.
“She works very well but has probably been racing slightly below average, she’s only a wee thing to be honest,” Tyler said. “But, I’ve got her up over ground and she seemed to grow another leg.
“Two starts ago, she was unfortunately hooked up in a fall, so I couldn’t really knock her for that. She did surprise me a bit on Saturday, to be stuck three-wide like that and still winning was an unbelievable run.”
Tyler was equally pleased for apprentice jockey Abdul Najib, who partnered both Quick Call and Monaghan Boy to victory.
“He tries really hard and has a great mannerism, I love supporting these apprentices and giving them a shot,” Tyler said.
“I just tell them to go out there and do their best, if it doesn’t work out then there is always another day. We always go out with a Plan A, but if they need to change something, so be it and I’ll support them.”
Quick Call races in the well-recognised colours of Terry Lines, a key supporter of the Tyler stable.
While he may not have realised the milestone was approaching, Tyler was pleasantly surprised to be told on a feature day for the region.
“I’m not big on records really, if someone didn’t tell me I probably wouldn’t have known, but it’s quite a privilege,” he said. “That’s quite a few winners.
“I’m always looking to my next one not my last one, but it’s an honour so hopefully we can keep ticking away and get a few more.
“It was a great day, I walked the track on Friday night and I thought it was closer to a (Soft) 6 than a 5, which I believe they need to be at this time of the year. It started as a 5 and ended up a (Good) 4, it was good, safe racing. Horses were coming from all over the track, it played fair and that’s all you want.”
