Bad weather has resulted in abandoned and rescheduled race meetings across the country, and floodwaters have caused big headaches for many people preparing horses in the lower South Island.
Gallopers were back in action at Timaru yesterday after a two-week, weather-enforced hiatus.
There, the Tyler-trained sprinter Flicka Of Gold made it back-to-back wins on heavy11 tracks when holding out a strong rating 75 line-up in the hands of rider Rafi Firdhaus.
Recent weather events have played right into the hands of Flicka Of Gold, on two fronts.
According to Tyler, the wetter the tracks are, the better he goes. Neither does he take much work, so missing work because of a flooded track has been no big deal.
''He is a horse that doesn't need too much work. He is just clean-winded and he tries really hard.''
Despite the enticing prospect of a heavy11 Riccarton surface and rich prize money on offer early next month, Tyler will not be tempted by the lure of the Grand National carnival.
''I don't know if he is a Riccarton horse,'' he said of Flicka Of Gold.
''I might just keep my feet on the ground and keep him fresh and go to Wingatui on the 25th of August.''
Firdhaus's win was among the seven by apprentice riders at Timaru yesterday.
North Island jockey Holly Andrew led the way with a treble of wins for local trainers, firstly with the Murray Tapper-trained Hot Tempo and then with Mystic Power and Astro Turf who are both prepared by Michael Daly.
The other apprentices to win were Amanda Morgan on Bridget Town in a rating 65 1600m race for Timaru trainer Thelma Foley; Parvesh Shaikh on Essdee in a 2100m maiden for Yaldhurst trainers Michael and Matthew Pitman, and Tina Comignaghi on Shezatoucha in a r65 2100m race for Balcairn trainers John and Karen Parsons.
The country's leading apprentice, Sam Weatherley, also finished his season in style at Rotorua on Saturday.
Weatherley's hat-trick included the listed Taumarunui Gold Cup on Gentil Tonton, trained at Cambridge by John Bell. He also won on the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained Bowie in rating 85 company and on the Kevin Myers-trained Mandalay in a rating 65 race.
Bowie's success took Baker and Forsman to 107 winners for the season, which sealed their win in the national trainers' premiership.
Though he was unable to add to his season's tally at either Rotorua or Timaru, North Canterbury-based Chris Johnson was yesterday crowned champion jockey of the season with 112 wins.
