Melbourne businessman and trotting aficionado Jim Connelly, the man behind the ‘Kyvalley’ moniker, has had a week to savour, landing five winners at three different Victorian tracks in the space of five days.
The haul began when Connelly had a winning double at Melton last Friday with Kyvalley Michael, who he bought as a yearling at the New Zealand sales, and the two-year-old filly Kyvalley Drifter, who he bred.
Then, on Monday at Maryborough, he landed another double with the two-year-old filly Kyvalley Dixon, which he bought at last year’s Nutrien Equine Melbourne sale, and the homebred mare Kyvalley Misty.
To cap a great week, the promising three-year-old filly Kyvalley Reeva scored a runaway maiden success at Ballarat on Wednesday night.
“I bought Kyvalley Reeva for $40,000 at the same sale in Christchurch as I bought Kyvalley Ray,” Jim said.
Kyvalley Michael, Kyvalley Dixon, Kyvalley Misty and Kyvalley Reeva are all prepared by Brent Lilley, while Kyvalley Drifter is trained by Chris Svanosio.
“It’s an exciting time of the year with the Vicbred Super Series, Need For Speed, Victoria Derby and the Breeders Crown all being run in the next few months,” Connelly said.
Brilliant three-year-old gelding Kyvalley Ray, the winner of eight of his 12 starts including three Group wins in NZ and the 2025 NZ 2YO Trotter of the Year, is being fitted for all four classics.
Connelly, who has been breeding and racing trotters successfully for 31 years, has a small band of broodmares based at his farm at Kyvalley, near Kyabram, which is managed by Michael O’Keefe.
“I’ve got four mares to foal this year and I’m going to breed eight this season. They’ll all go to frozen semen stallions,” Jim said.
Connelly has bred and raced countless winners over the years but contends that Kyvalley Road, Skyvalley and Kyvalley Blur are the clear standouts.
Majaro Girl, a trotting winner at Melton on Friday, is the first foal of the New Zealand bred Group 2 and 3 winner Monaro Maro.
The four-year-old Nugget Rogers, who scored in 1:52.6 at Menangle, was bred by ex-Tasmanians Fred and Pauline Barker from the Art Major mare Manellira, a daughter of the 2017 Broodmare of the Year Amarillen.
Vansumic, the 2014 NSW Ladyship Mile winner, ranks as the dam of this week’s impressive Shepparton winner Michen Roy.
