Kelvin Tyler will be looking to record his fourth win in the Greenwood Amberley Cup (1600m) when he treks north to Riccarton on Saturday.
The Riverton trainer has tasted success in the Riccarton feature on three prior occasions, including Timy Tyler (NZ) (No Excuse Needed) and twice with Lochan Ora (NZ) (Towkay), and he is hoping Go Lotte (NZ) (Telperion) can etch her name next to her stable predecessors this weekend.
The five-year-old daughter of Telperion has placed in her last two starts and Tyler said she is capable of going two better on Saturday.
“It is hard to place these horses with the lack of grass racing, but it is a nice meeting and I have won the Amberley Cup three times,” Tyler said.
“It has been good to me and it looks to be a winnable race for her, she is thriving at the moment.”
Tyler is also looking forward to lining up in-form juvenile Mamaea (NZ) (Ribchester) in the Bain McCall Memorial Two-Year-Old (1000m).
The daughter of Ribchester was runner-up over 1100m at Wingatui earlier this month and will be aided by her inside draw (2).
“She has been up for a wee while now and you would think she is starting to get a few kinks in the armour, but she is thriving,” Tyler said. “She looks outstanding and her work has been outstanding, she loves a wet track.
“1000m is probably short enough for her, she is wanting a bit more now, but I can’t fault her work at all. She will be another good chance.”
Stablemate Albatross (NZ) (Sacred Falls) has been in a purple patch of form, winning two and placing in three of her last five starts, and Tyler doesn’t see any reason why she can’t extend that in the Taggart Earthmoving Rating 75 (2200m).
“She has been wanting 2000m for a fair while, so she gets her chance there,” he said. “It is a winnable race for her and she gets three kilos off with Denby-Rose (Tait, apprentice jockey) on. Her work has been really good.
“We have got three nice chances on Saturday.”
Prior to the weekend, Tyler will head to Oamaru on Thursday where he will be represented by Zambezi Zipper (NZ) (Highly Recommended) in the Chad Ormsby 75 (2200m), Zac Black (NZ) (Dalghar) in the Paul Richards 65 (1200m), and Vamos (NZ) (Vadamos) in the James McDonald 65 (1600m).
“They are runners’ chances with Vamos probably being my best chance,” he said.
Putting on his owner hat on Saturday, Tyler is looking forward to watching King Of The Castle (NZ) (Castledale) continue his preparation for trainer Joe Pride in Australia.
The Castledale seven-year-old is nominated for the Listed Civic Stakes (1400m) at Randwick and The David Bourke (1600m) at Flemington, with Tyler saying Pride is leaning towards the latter target this weekend.
“He is nominated for Randwick and Flemington, and I have got the feeling that he is going to go to Flemington for a mile race,” Tyler said.
Tyler said he is also looking forward to Aberlour (NZ) (Mongolian Falcon) having her first start for Pride in the coming weeks.
“Aberlour won her trial on Monday at Warwick Farm and she is on track to for her first race over there in the next couple of weeks, so there is a little bit to look forward to,” he said.
