“I know we are are taking on trainers from the top of the tree and their dogs are always likely to do something a bit special in a big final. But it won’t affect how Kyle is trained this week; it will be everything just the same as usual.”
So said June Harvey a week before sending Kyletaun Kyle unbeaten through the Coral Regency where, in the final, he clocked the fastest time over Hove’s 695m in almost six years.
With the £10,000 decider reduced to five runner following the withdrawal of Cincinnati, the Poole 620m track record holder went to boxes as a 1-2f. He trapped behind Bangor Ella and led at the first bend. A 14.30 sectional was his fastest to date by half a length and the only question was ‘how far?’.
The answer was just under seven lengths in 41.05, the fastest time over course and distance since Mr Chow’s 41.03 Regency win in 2012.
It was a tremendous triumph for owner and trainer June Harvey, who, despite her modesty, had overcome a series of issues with her runner, including a damaged wrist after the semi finals.
She said: “It was nothing major but the physio Phil Milner picked it up after the semi finals and we worked on it through the week. Thankfully it didn’t flare up in the race and there is no sign of a problem this morning.
“My biggest concern was travelling. Unlike Fizzypop Buddy who was a very calm character, Kyle is very excitable and a bad traveller. We can’t take him in the van, he has to go in the car, and we need to keep getting fluids into him to stop him dehydrating. There is also the cramp issue, though thankfully that hasn’t reappeared recently.”
With one of the prestige stayers events already in the bank, Mrs Harvey realises that one more would put Clares Kyletaun among the favourites for the Stayer of the Year title.
“I don’t ever think of more than one race at a time. The plan now is for a couple of trials at Towcester, because I would love to have him in a race on Derby Final night. I don’t know after that. I know there is a festival at Sunderland, but he is such a bad traveler, I am not sure it would be possible.
“I would love to win the Stayers award. I thought we had a chance with Buddy after he went unbeaten through the St.Leger and won a stack of other races, but we finished second (to Millwards Teddy).
CLARES KYLETAUN is clear at the fifth bend in the Coral Regency Final.Photo: Steve Nash
