GRAHAM FISCHER
THERE was no hiding the delight
of part-owner trainer Phil
Houston when trotter Kyvalley
Kid won at Globe Derby Park on
Saturday.
Houston, vice-president of the
Gawler Harness Racing Club,
raised his hands to the heavens
as he returned to his stall to
await the return of his winning
squaregaiter.
After all, it was nearly a year to
the day since Kyvalley Kid had registered
his last win.
Starting at $18, Kyvalley Kid
finished strongly to score a twoand-
a-half metre win of the Jive
Cafe Trotters Handicap (2230m)
beating Ghent ($9.50) with Fairytale
Hall ($3.80), 14 metres
away third.
The seven-year-old’s most recent
previous success was on May 23,
2020 at Globe Derby Park.
The most in-form harness driver
in Australia is SA champion Danielle
Hill, and she had the drive on
Kyvalley Kid.
On the previous Monday, Hill
drove six winners at Globe Derby
Park, then on Saturday night landed
another four on the seven-race program.
A total of six winners at a meeting
is the Australian record, a feat
achieved by 23 drivers, but Hill has
done it four times, making her the
most successful, eclipsing the legendary
Kerryn Manning and Gary
Hall Jr who have done it three times.
Houston, who part-owns Kyvalley
Kid with his wife Patti, explained
how the impressive black
trotter came to his stables.
“I was in Melbourne around
Melbourne Cup time in 2018 and
went to the trotting stables of trainer
Brent Lillye, a New Zealander
who had relocated to Victoria,”
he said.
“I watched trackwork and was
impressed by one of his trotters – I
asked if he was for sale, but the reply
was an emphatic ‘no’. A bit later,
I saw this nice black horse work
and made an enquiry, and this time
he replied ‘maybe’.
“After some negotiations, I was
able to bring him home.”
Kyvalley Kid proved a bit of a
barrier rogue when he first started
racing in South Australia. His talent
was obvious, but he gave away too
much ground at the start.
Houston has worked on improving
the gelding’s manners, with
Kyvalley Kid managing three wins,
five seconds and three thirds from
37 starts.
There was an excellent tempo in
Saturday’s race, which was perfect
for the winner.
Hill allowed him to work into
the race on the final lap, and just
when Ghent looked to have established
a winning lead, Kyvalley
Kid let down strongly to grab
victory.
Another of Hill’s winners was the
talented Joes A Character, owned
and trained by Yvette Zitterbart.
The Gawler Cup winner was
having his first start for just
over a month, but led throughout
for a comfortable seven-metre
win in the Sage Hotels Pace
(1800m).
Starting a well-backed $1.60 favourite,
Joes A Character beat Jakes
Sportswriter ($126) with Whatabro
($9.50) two metres away third.
The win had a touch of sadness
for Zitterbart, who said her stable
favourite Roycie had passed away
in the morning, aged 23.
“He was a mentor to the younger
horses,” Zitterbart said.
“Even with his age, he was still
a calming influence on the other
horses. I’m sure his spirit was riding
with Joe tonight.”