Everything that Kelvin and Aimee Tyler touch has been turning to gold lately.
The father-daughter training combination trained four of the eight winners at Ascot Park on Sunday.
And just 10 days earlier, they claimed five of the eight races at their hometrack meeting at Riverton.
“It was pretty surreal at Riverton, days like that don’t happen very often. You have to stop and take it all in and enjoy it,” says 26-year-old Aimee Tyler.
“It was really good,” adds Kelvin Tyler. “This time of year is a bit easier for us down here. I was feeling confident going into Sunday; we had some good chances and the track and distances to suit us – our horses seem to be a bit more adept in the heavy.
“I took all the staff down to the local pub here on Sunday night and shouted them a meal and a few drinks. We have brilliant staff, like a big family.”
Kelvin grew up in Matamata and eventually moved south nearly 27 years ago to dairy farm. Twelve years later, he took out his trainer’s licence, at the insistence of his daughter.
“When I was younger, I pushed Dad to get his trainer’s licence. I really liked horses!” laughs Aimee. “I was only ever used to cows growing up, but I did have a pony when I was little.”
It started off as a hobby for Kelvin, but the training operation has steadily expanded over the years.
“I just started off doing my own, then I got a few more, then a couple of mates wanted in, then suddenly you need a couple of extra staff, and then you have to pay wages somehow, so you get a couple more horses!” explains Kelvin.
“We train between 20 and 25 horses most of the time, although we are down to about 15 at the moment.”
Kelvin and Aimee joined training forces in the 2018/19 season, and the pair have been a formidable combination ever since. This season, they’ve had 46 wins from 283 runners, giving them an outstanding strike-rate of 6.15.
“Some people say the racing isn’t as strong in the south, but we still have to win them,” says Kelvin.
“We’re fifth on the premiership, and we only have a handful of horses compared to some of the big names on the premiership above us.
“We just have to keep trying to place the horses right. Most of ours want a bit of cut out of the track. That’s it for the southern racing this season, so we have to travel now, but we are kind of used to travelling – we just have to plan ahead.”
It’s clear that the father-daughter combination have an excellent personal and professional relationship.
“It’s really good training with Aimee. We’ve always been pretty close, and she loves training,” says Kelvin.
“We’re best friends,” adds Aimee. “You’ve just got to keep having a laugh and keeping the vibe happy. I can talk to him about anything.
“I guess you could say I do more of the hands on with the training, and he goes and watches them work. We come together if something needs adjusting on either side.
“We communicate a lot, and that’s the key.”
Kelvin also has two sons, both of whom are “racing mad”. Michael runs the dairy farm and manages a couple of racing syndicates, and Jason spent much of his adult life working in the mines in Australia, but has now returned to New Zealand.
His parents also have the racing bug. They are involved in the ownership of a number of the Tylers’ horses, including King Of The Castle, who won at Riverton a fortnight ago.
Meanwhile, Aimee’s children, Chloe aged five, and Jack aged 18 months, have also already shown an interest in the caper.
“I don’t really take them to raceday because it’s so busy, but they’re always watching the racing on television.”
As for goals for the future?
“I’d love us to win a Group race,” says Aimee, “wherever that may be. That’s probably the ultimate goal, to get some Group races under our belts – preferably a Group One!”
