THEY might be family, but today Pat and Chris Hyland are rivals.
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Pat, a veteran trainer and Melbourne Cup-winning jockey, saddles up King Triton in the feature 3YB Scotty Stewart Brierly Steeplechase alongside his son Chris’ hope Geeceegazza.
A father and son have never trained the quinella in the 113-year history of the Brierly.
“It would be all right,” Pat Hyland said yesterday.
But he is adamant family seniority should be respected on the track.
“I think I will be first thanks,” he laughed.
The 73-year-old, who grew up at Port Fairy before becoming an apprentice jockey the day before he turned 15, loves the TAB May Racing Carnival.
“I went to my first race week at Warrnambool when Beauford Lad won the Warrnambool Cup in ’55. We wore gumboots it was that wet,” he said.
As a trainer, Hyland craves a win in a major jumps race at the carnival.
King Triton was fourth in both last year’s Brierly and Grand Annual steeplechases.
But he comes into today’s 3450m race off a less-than-ideal preparation. He lost his rider three starts back in a steeplechase at Oakbank, ran strongly in a hurdle and then lost his rider at Ballarat on April 23 in another steeplechase.
“He knows how to jump. He ran fourth in this race last year and fourth in the Grand Annual,” he said. “I haven’t entered him in the Grand Annual this year. I didn’t want to be tempted to run him, but I think two races in three days last year buggered him.
“It took a long time to get him back to the races. It’s a long season. There are plenty of races (after this week).
“It is a great race the Annual. It would be a race I would ideally love to be winning.”
Hyland, who is based at Clyde North, near Cranbourne, said King Triton’s form was better than it read.
“I’m happy with him going into the race,” he said.
Hyland has opted to put top jockey Steven Pateman on board.
“Pateman is the best around and I’m probably lucky to have him,” he said.
Chris Hyland’s Geeceegazza was a $16 chance in TAB fixed odds betting yesterday, while King Triton was at $7.50.
Chris is no stranger to feature jumps success at the carnival. He won the 2008 Galleywood Hurdle with Weeping Willow.
Winslow trainer Ciaron Maher is chasing his fourth Brierly victory in eight years, saddling up last-start Bendigo winner Regina Coeli.
Maher’s charge was the second pick in the fixed odds market at $4.60, behind the Eric Musgrove-trained Von Doussa Steeplechase winner Thubiaan at $2.70.
Maher said his mare was hitting form at the right time.
While today is a focus for Regina Coeli, Thursday’s Grand Annual Steeplechase is her main goal.
Maher said she had raced keenly at her last start at Bendigo and he believed today’s Brierly would be a good hit-out for Thursday.