King Zephyr Puts a Spring in Hyland's Step

Chris Hyland didn't walk away from training because of a lack of passion – but because the strain simply outweighed the joy. Now working as assistant trainer to Group 1-winning horseman Grahame Begg, he's rediscovered his spark, thanks largely to the rise of King Zephyr, a gelding who's taken Hyland and his mates on a thrilling ride. "I'm still working hard," Hyland said, "but I've got constant income and not having to chase money all the time." The turning point came after a deflating day at Moe. "I think I'd had three runners that all went horribly and I came home and thought, 'I've had enough of this'." Juggling nine or ten horses with just one employee, Hyland said, "It was just a very manic way to live your life." He handed in his licence in 2023, describing the daily grind as relentless. "I was scrapping and it was just very hard," he added. Though he sold off all but one of the ten horses he had under his care, he kept a feeling about King Zephyr. "We had done enough to suggest that I should hang on to him." He continued: "There were a couple of others that were untried but I didn't keep them." King Zephyr, a $48,000 yearling purchase by Hallowed Crown in 2022, was the last horse Hyland bought and the only one he held on to. Now four, the gelding has won five of his first six starts and lines up in Saturday's Listed Straight Six at Flemington, chasing his first black-type win. "My last two runners were winners but I put them on the online auction because I wanted to get out and regroup," Hyland said. He credits Begg's expertise in guiding King Zephyr's development. "You know you can train yourself, but it's great going to work for a good trainer with good horses all the time." With dreams of a Group 1 still burning, Hyland knows the big decisions will come from Begg. "He's a multiple Group 1-winning trainer and the best I had was a third in a Group 1 so I'll leave it to the boss," he said. If King Zephyr wins on Saturday, a Stradbroke tilt in Queensland might be next. "He's just a no-fuss horse… not much worries him and whatever Grahame asks him to do, he does," Hyland said. "It's just been great fun with him."