Kiwi stayer Freddie Time shoots for Queensland Derby

By Glenn Davis

It’s a massive leap from a midweek provincial race to the Group 1 Queensland Derby but that’s the path New Zealand raider Freddie Time will take at Ipswich on Wednesday.

A son of Time Test, Freddie Time will make his Australian debut in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap over 2180 metres.

His trainer, Kelvin Tyler hails from Riverton on New Zealand’s South Island and is on his second trip to Queensland.

Tyler has been training for 20 years but only regards himself as a “hobby” trainer.

“I’m a dairy farmer and I run 550 cows at Riverton which is my core business,” Tyler said.

“I’ve been involved with dairy farming all my life and training is only a hobby even though I’ve got about 20 horses in work.”

Tyler is on a working holiday to Queensland and only brought Freddie Time with him after he won over 1400 metres on a heavy track on his home track on April 21.

“The field he beat that day was lower grade and he just had a canter around,” Tyler said.

“He had every chance at his previous start when he ran fourth behind Kiwi Skyhawk in the (Group 3) Manawatu Classic at Trentham.

“Kiwi Skyhawk is a good horse and ran a fifth in the New Zealand Derby.”

Corey Sutherland has been booked to ride Freddie Time.

Freddie Time showed he had taken no harm from the trip across the ditch when he finished second in a Deagon barrier trial behind top Queensland Oaks fancy Philia on May 13.

“He had a big trip over and I was hoping to get him here earlier, but we had some flight troubles getting over here,” Tyler said.

“Had he got here a week earlier I would have run him in the Rough Habit Plate last Saturday.

“But, he needed a few extra days and he’s now settled in really well and I was very happy with his barrier trial.

“I’m hoping he may have enough prizemoney to get into the Derby but this race on Wednesday has enough prizemoney for him to make the field.”

Tyler’s biggest win of his career was with Freddie Time’s half-brother, Timy Tyler, who won at Group 3 level in New Zealand, among his nine wins.

“I’ve had lot of Group 1 and Group 2 placings but I’m yet to win one,” Tyler said.

“Hopefully we can do it in the Derby as he’ll have no trouble running the trip.”

Tyler last visited Queensland three years ago when he brought six horses on another working holiday.

“I brought six horses over for a winter holiday three years ago including Prince Alby who raced at Caloundra and Master Marko, but he didn’t settle in that well,” he said.

“We didn’t win any of the bigger races, but Master Marko won a couple and we left him here with Paul Jenkins.”