Can the Riverton-owned horse make it three Wyndham Cup wins?
Trainer Kelvin Tyler is pleased with Kilowatt leading into Sunday's $25,000 Wyndham Cup.
Jamie Searle is a long-time racing writer. Head to the Southland Thoroughbreds Facebook page to check out more of his work.
Kilowatt is attempting to become the first to win three Wyndham Cups.
The Wyndham Racing Club's annual meeting will be held at Gore on Sunday, but on Saturday Kilowatt's trainers, Kelvin and Aimee Tyler, have runners at the Auckland and Wellington meetings.
Their Invercargill Cup winner, Dunhill, is in the $500,000 Auckland Cup at Pukekohe and Lightning Jack contests a $40,000 open 1600m at Trentham.Â
Kilowatt is one of seven horses to have won the Wyndham Cup twice in the 115-year history of the Wyndham Racing Club. Well-performed gallopers King D'Or (2002 and 2000), Star Rapier (1990-1988) and Court Belle (1968-67) are on the list and will be remembered by many race fans.Â
Kelvin Tyler is pleased with Kilowatt leading into Sunday's $25,000 Wyndham Cup, sponsored by AON Insurance Brokers & AB Lime.
"He's as good as he normally is and comes in pretty good at the weights," Tyler said.
Kilowatt will carry 56.5kg. He has carried more than that in his past 13 starts.
"He's a 9-year-old. He can't go forever, but he's still 100 per cent sound,loves what he's doing and is keen in his work."
In his latest start Kilowatt ran fifth in the Invercargill Gold Cup (February 18) and preceded that run with a fourth in the Gore Cup (January 21).
Kilowatt has been a dream horse to own with all of his 10 wins being from the Tyler stable.
The Riverton-based Carriers Arms Racing Syndicate leased Kilowatt off Rich Hill Stud in 2017 after he had raced five times as a maiden in the North Island. His best results in the north were a third and a fifth.
Syndicate member Stuart Heath said Kilowatt always tried in his races.Â
"Kelvin and Aimee have been very patient with him ... he's a very underrated horse."
As well as his 10 wins, Kilowatt has won $253,000 in his 69-start career. On 48 occasions he has finished in the first five, including five seconds,16 thirds and 11 fourths.
His record at the Gore racecourse - venue for the Wyndham Racing Club's annual race day - stands at 11 starts for four wins, two thirds and two fourths.
Kilowatt has competed in four Wyndham Cups, with wins in 2021 and 2019,.The Gore Cup (2021) and Tapanui Cup (2019) were other major wins by Kilowatt on the eastern Southland track.
The Tapanui Cup was special for the syndicate and Tylers as it was won on the race day celebrating 150 years of the Tapanui Racing Club.
Kilowatt's six Cup wins in total also includes the Dunedin Gold Cup (2022) and Southland Racing Club's Summer Cup (2019)..
During his career Kilowatt has competed in 30 Cup races.
Stuart Heath recalled when Kilowatt won the Dunedin Cup, the public, including owners, were not allowed to attend the race meeting because of Covid-19 restrictions.Â
The Cups presented to the syndicate were mostly put on display at the syndicate's headquarters, the Carriers Arms Hotel, in Riverton. The syndicate's jockey's silks of green and white are colours that Riverton sports people and organisations use to represent the town.
Heath said the syndicate was formed about 15 years ago after the idea of patrons and publican of the Carriers Arms Hotel coming together to race a horse was discussed over a few beers at the pub..
Heath is one of the original members. There are 21 people in the syndicate.
"I'm not sure how many wins we've had. it's roughly between 40 and 50."
A few times syndicate members have hired a bus to take them, some of their family and friends from Riverton to Invercargill to watch their horses race at Ascot Park.
Most of the time they travel individually or car pool.