Titch (NZ) (Lord Ballina), the winner of yesterday’s winner of the $1 million Gr.1 Stella Artois Auckland Cup (3200m), looked notably relaxed as he crossed the line, a temperament that has the training expertise of Kevin Myers and hurdles to thank.

The now laid-back runner once held his breath during his races, which is the reason why Myers decided to race him over fences.

“We jumped him to try and get him to relax in his races, it has worked and he picked up three wins in Australia over the hurdles,” explained Myers.

His ability to relax in his races was the key to yesterdays win, that Champion New Zealand Jockey Opie Bosson has described as his easiest Group One win.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better run then that we were just cruising the whole race, he didn’t pull he just lobbed around off the bit and when I wanted him to quicken up he just did everything I asked of him,” Bosson told Trackside.

From barrier five Bosson was able to settle the six-year-old gelding midfield along the inside rail. He peeled off the fence on the home bend and kicked away to win by 1 ¾ lengths. Showcause (Giant’s Causeway) was second and Castle Heights (NZ) (Golan) finished in third place.

As he returned to scale Bosson was full of praise for Myers.

“He’s a freak of a trainer, when you are on one of his horses you know they’re ready to win and it is a privilege to ride for him,” Bosson told Trackside.

Myers describes the unbeaten hurdler, who has had 33 starts for 13 wins and five placings, as “very quiet, he is so quiet that my ten-year-old kid works him”.

He was bred and is raced by Jim Wallace Snr who is the Proprietor of Ardsley Stud in Masterton where Titch's sire Lord Ballina (Bletchingly) stood for 18 seasons before he died in July, 2004.

Lord Ballina’s contribution to the New Zealand breeding industry has been hugely significant. From 870 foals he has left 44 stakes-winners to date, thirteen of them at Group One level.

Titch (NZ) is from the Kaapstad mare Our Sophie (NZ), who is a half-sister to the Gr.1 Australian Cup winner, Kip (NZ) (Forty Winks II). She has also produced the stakes performer Soph (NZ) (Lord Ballina) who is trained by Myers, as is an unnamed two-year-old half-sister to Titch (NZ) by Fast ‘n’ Famous.

The Wallace and Myers families have a long association. Jim Wallace Jnr’s wife Mary is a cousin of Myers. They are also connected by another million dollar Gr.1 winning son of Lord Ballina in Balmuse(NZ). The horse who famously defeated Starcraft (NZ) in the 2004 Gr.1 Kelt Capital Stakes. Like Titch (NZ), Balmuse (NZ) was trained by Myers and bred by Jim Wallace.

Myers has also had success with the progeny of Lord Ballina in the form of Gr.3 Rotorua Cup winner Gliding (NZ) who went on to be a successful hurdler in New Zealand and America. He is also the trainer of Gr.3 WRC Cuddle Stakes (1600m) and Listed Wanganui Stakes (1600m) winner Yanna Marie (NZ) (Lord Ballina).