Kelvin Tyler has plenty of travel ahead of him in the coming weeks and he was pleased to pick up a success closer to home at Wingatui on Sunday with Albatross.
A daughter of Sacred Falls, Albatross has a tidy record on Heavy track conditions and returned to her favourite surface at the meeting, after tackling the Good 4 at Riccarton last month. Contesting the KB Contractors (1600m) in Rating 75 company, she was equal favourite alongside Smooth Operator at $4.30.
Albatross was swiftly away from the inside barrier and had the early lead before apprentice jockey Denby-Rose Tait allowed the mare to be crossed by Seven Twenty. Easing off the fence at the 800m, Albatross soon was back on terms with Seven Twenty and hit the lead at the 250m, sustaining a strong gallop to hold off a game Lofty’s Gift by a long neck.
Initially starting her career in the care of Jamie Richards, Albatross collected her maiden success before joining Tyler early last year, with four subsequent victories now added to her tally from 27 starts.
“I thought it was a good effort and she was coming back in grade in her favoured ground,” Tyler said.
“She went down on her front bumpers really badly at Riccarton on the firm track, but back on the soft surface, she was good.
“We’ll stick around down here with her, there’s a nice race at Gore in a couple of weeks, an Open 1800m, so that will suit her down to the ground.
“We’re getting plenty of rain down here, so the tracks are going to be off for a while.”
Bred by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Albatross is out of an unraced Encosta De Lago mare Bint Piavonic. She has earned more than $70,000 in stakes, with Tyler in the ownership group.
Meanwhile, Tyler’s topliners Prince Alby, Master Marko and Lightning Jack have settled well into their temporary base with Howie and Lorraine Mathews at Otaki, with the latter pair preparing for a Group Three target on September 21.
“They’re doing really well, Master Marko and Prince Alby headed up last Wednesday and we can’t fault them after the travel, they’ve settled in and it’s pretty much home for them now,” Tyler said.
“At this stage, Master Marko and Lightning Jack will go to Wanganui for the Metric Mile next Saturday, and Prince Alby will go to the middle day at Hastings over 2000m.
“I like to go up four or five days out and see their final gallops to see how we’re tracking.
“Howie and Lorraine do a great job and know what they’re doing, so that’s a big help.”
