Cover image courtesy of Brett Lazzarini
Hobby trainer Tyrone Coyle, who began his racing journey as a strapper in 1978 before briefly training in the 1990s, will saddle up Prince Aurelius (Love Conquers All) in this year’s edition of the $500,000 feature.
Co-bred by Coyle, the 4-year-old has taken the provincial circuit by storm, winning four on the trot and fending off a trio of Kris Lees-trained gallopers to take out the 1200 metre Wyong qualifying event at Gosford last month.
Coyle described his galloper as a picture of health on Wednesday afternoon, something that hasn’t always been the case.
“He’s had a lot of issues, he was born with a club foot and we never thought he was going to be anything fantastic because he limped around the paddock for three months,” Coyle told TDN AusNZ.
“He has always been able to gallop, but he’s also a wind sucker who has had a multitude of issues as far as maturity and sickness. However, it has allowed for him to mature and develop as a horse.”
Coyle said he is prepared for the challenge that awaits and believes his galloper to be capable of causing a boilover in a race dominated by leading provincial trainers Kris Lees and Kim Waugh.
“I was more nervous going into his maiden then I am now because he has justified the opinion I have of him. So, I’m going into Saturday’s race quietly confident.
“I was more nervous going into his (Prince Aurelius) maiden then I am now because he has justified the opinion I have of him. So, I’m going into Saturday’s race quietly confident.” – Tyrone Coyle
“I believe that he will not disgrace himself under any circumstances and I truly believe that he will be in the top four or five, he should be shorter in the market in my opinion.
“However, people have this unfailing belief that city trainers train better, what they don’t understand is that it’s because of the greater turnover and the amount of runners they have going around.”
Sky Sports Radio’s Racing HQ host Dave Stanley knows a thing or two about the provincial and country circuit, having taken his TAB sponsored Sky Racing bus around regional and rural New South Wales in attempt to showcase grassroots race clubs and the important role they play in racing’s grand scheme.
Dave Stanley | Image courtesy of Sky Racing
Stanley reflected on the positive reception that the tour received and said it captured exactly what those behind the development of the Provincial and Country Championships set out to achieve.
“The races people want to talk about when I go around and do my travels are the Provincial and Country Championships. They love talking about Queen Elizabeths and Golden Slippers, but these are the races that they actually have a connection to and can potentially be involved with as an owner,” he told TDN AusNZ.
“The races people want to talk about when I go around and do my travels are the Provincial and Country Championships.” – Dave Stanley
“There’s so many good yarns out there and having these conversations with people about the horse that they train, where they’re from and just that five-minute chat has such an impact on them.
“It makes them feel included and they feel on the same level as some of the big participants we always speak to in the media.”
Triumph on Saturday with Prince Aurelius won’t change Coyle’s life or his training endeavours, however, he acknowledges what lucrative prize pool and widespread recognition can provide for aspiring provincial and country trainers.
“I do it as a hobby, I just enjoy training one as I like to spend the time one-on-one with a horse and I like to analyse and give the horse the time he needs,” he said.
“If you’re a trainer with 40 horses you don’t have the time to dedicate to a horse like him who needs the attention from day one.
“Although for a trainer who is wanting to build clientele, Saturday is the be all and end all, it would be the most important race for them on any calendar. However, you don’t have Chris Waller, but you still are competing with Kris Lees who has seven horses in it and over 200 in work.
“So, for a trainer who has 10 or 15 just to get into the race is an achievement and for them it would be life-changing if they were to prevail, because the average provincial trainer struggles, there’s not a lot of money in it.”
Tyron Coyle | Image courtesy of Brett Lazzarini
Invaluable opportunities
Stanley echoed Coyle’s sentiment, saying that winning either Championship allows smaller trainers with big dreams the opportunity to leverage themselves and to grow their brand in a hyper competitive industry.
“Winning these races is invaluable in my opinion, if you win either Championship you can set yourself up and use it as a platform to grow and prosper,” he said.
“Winning these races is invaluable in my opinion, if you win either Championship you can set yourself up and use it as a platform to grow and prosper." - Dave Stanley
“It reminds people that you don’t just have to have good quality horses trained in Sydney or metropolitan areas, you can have them right across the board.”
Like many Stanley is cheering for a storyline capable of transcending racing itself, saying that big wins for the little guy truly capture the essence of what our industry stands for.
“I can tell you what, if Tyrone wins the Provincial Championship he never has to train another winner, he will have that photo hanging in his house for the rest of his life and can always look back on it,” he said. “They’re the kind of stories you just can’t write.”
