Final NZ appearance (for now) for Kyvalley Ray

By Adam Hamilton 

More than eight months after Kyvalley Ray’s NZ raid started, it will come to a close at Alexandra Park on Friday night.

But he will be back.

Trainer Brent Lilley confirmed the Victorian-owned star was booked to return “home” on Sunday.

“He races Friday and will be on the plane Sunday,” Lilley said.

“He’ll come back home, have the rest of this month and all of June off and then we’ll get him ready for the (Group 1) Victoria (Trotters’) Derby here on November 1.”

Then, all going well, it’s back on a plane to Christchurch, via Auckland.

“If they run that slot race (The Ascent) again, he’ll go back for that, but regardless he will go back for the NZ (Trotters’) Derby,” Lilley said.

Lilley heaped praise on Hayden and Amanda Cullen who have guided Kyvalley Ray through his hugely successful NZ odyssey.

“I’ve been back and forth a lot, but all the credit goes to Hayden and Amanda,” he said.

“He’s a horse Jim (Connelly, owner) paid a lot for as a yearling in NZ, so he wasn’t eligible for much here (Victoria).

“As soon as we knew the sort of ability he had, and it was obvious very early, we mapped out the NZ plan.

“I think he’s the first trotter to be paid up for these big NZ races from Australia and go back and win them.

“He showed ability from the start, but was a naughty colt. He’s a different horse since we had him gelded.”

Kyvalley Ray is chasing his third Group 1 win as a $1.40 favourite in Friday night’s Northern Derby.

“I wouldn’t say he’s 100 per cent comfortable around the bends the opposite way at Alexandra Park, but he gets going in the straights,” Lilley said.

“He’s up with the best young trotters I’ve had, he’s just so strong. He’ll appreciate getting out to 2700m this week.

“He’ll have those races at the end of the year and then we’re planning a pretty light four-year-old season with him to give him every chance to take the step into open-class racing.

"It's exciting when you hear someone like Blair Orange say he loves him."