Exciting talent King Zephyr showing his former trainer fun side of racing
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Chris Hyland is finally enjoying the fun side of racing with exciting galloper King Zephyr.
Hyland did the hard yards as a trainer for almost two decades before getting sick of the grind and handing in his licence in 2023.
Hyland took a job as assistant trainer to Group 1-winning horseman Grahame Begg, thriving in the freedom of being able to step away from racing a couple of times a week.
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'I was scrapping and it was just very hard,' Hyland said.
'I was doing nine or 10 horses with one employee and it was just a very manic way to live your life.
'I think I'd had three runners at Moe that all went horribly and I came home and thought, 'I've had enough of this'.
'I'm still working hard but I've got constant income and not having to chase money all the time.
'You know you can train yourself but it's great going to work for a good trainer with good horses all the time.'
King Zephyr was the last horse Hyland bought at a yearling sale, paying $48,000 for the son of Hallowed Crown at an Inglis sale in 2022.
The gelding was also the only horse Hyland kept when he gave up training in his own right even though the stable's last two runners were winners.
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'He had one preparation under my care and, of the 10 horses I had in training at that time, he was the only horse I kept. I sold all the rest,' Hyland said.
'There were a couple of others that were untried but I didn't keep them.
'We had done enough to suggest that I should hang on to him.
'My last two runners were winners but I put them on the online auction because I wanted to get out and regroup.'
Hyland said Begg has done a great job with King Zephyr, who has won five of his first six starts and will attempt his first stakes win in Saturday's Listed Straight Six at Flemington.
King Zephyr has taken Hyland and his long-time friends in the horse on a great early ride, culminating with an easy win over 1400m at Flemington.
King Zephyr will have a crack at his first stakes win in Saturday's Listed Straight Six at Flemington. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images
The gelding's outstanding start to his career has led to the syndicate having big dreams with the developing performer.
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'The dream is to own a Group 1 winner because I never trained a Group 1 winner but it's just been great fun with him,' Hyland said.
'He's just a no-fuss horse. I suppose he's got to do it on Saturday but not much worries him and whatever Grahame asks him to do, he does.
'If he won on Saturday, that might get his rating up to possibly have a go at a Stradbroke and have a break up in Queensland.'
But Hyland said Begg would have the sole say on whether King Zephyr headed north should the four-year-old win again at Flemington.
'He's a multiple Group 1-winning trainer and the best I had was a third in a Group 1 so I'll leave it to the boss, he knows what he's doing,' Hyland said.
Originally published as King Zephyr to shoot for five straight wins in Listed Straight Six at Flemington
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