Wingatui trainer Steve Tyler started yesterday hoping to claim his first ace-day double.
By race two, it was mission accomplished.
By the end of the day, there was a cherry on top in the form of a third victory.
Tyler has just six horses in work - his seventh, Shantav, is having a spell - but he had his small team peaking at the Central Otago Racing Club meeting at Omakau yesterday.
Kildangan got Tyler's day off to the ideal start with a 1-length victory in the 2000m maiden, and the way he pulled away over the last 50m suggests more ground will not be a problem.
"The plan was to ride him cold and drop him out,'' Tyler said.
"He settled a lot better today and he showed how good a horse he is when he settles. I know there wasn't a lot in it, but it was just the way he did it.
"I've always said he's the best horse in the stable. He's just got to learn to race.''
The son of Iffraaj came south from Pukekohe after two trial runs last autumn and a fourth at the Ruakaka trials in October.
"He was with Richard Collett but he wasn't handling the bigger stable and being boxed up. So they sent him down to a quieter stable.''
The southern environment seems to be working for all of Tyler's team.
He arrived at Wingatui at the start of May and has now won nine races since his move south, after winning four when based at Te Puke.
Kildangan's win was a boon for Tyler as his father, Ken, has a share in the 4yr-old.
Tyler derived plenty of pleasure from the win of Popp 'N Lindauer in the next race - not only because it was his first race-day double.
"I own this one and Dad has a share in it,'' an excited Tyler said.
The Shinko King mare won at Waikouaiti and has been far from disgraced in her three subsequent runs.
"In her last two starts she's been hugely unlucky.''
Tyler added a tough win with Alitron in the last race on the card to give him a treble for the day, along with two second placings.
Tyler's brother, Kelvin, was not going to let his sibling have all the fun, though.
The Riverton trainer prepared Carlton Princess to win the rating 65 2000m at her second start in the South Island after a smart front-running ride from stable rider Kevin Kalychurun.
"I told him to go early and make it a true 2000m and that's what he's done,'' Kelvin Tyler said.
"She's a good one-pacer, a grinder, but she's really genuine. She tries her heart out all day.''
The win by the Mettre En Jeu mare also ensures Tyler will be welcome any time at the Carriers Arms in Riverton.
The 5yr-old is raced by the Carriers Arms Syndicate - an 18-strong syndicate made up of patrons of the Riverton establishment.
Carlton Princess won one from 18 in the North Island when based with Peter McKenzie at Levin.
"She came down from Peter McKenzie rock-hard fit so she can go all day,'' Kelvin Tyler added.
