HE'S ventured a long way in just over 12 months and there's one place he wants his journey to end - the Sha Tin training complex. Former Hong Kong riding star Nigel Tiley quit not only the territory at the end of the 1992-93 season, but also the saddle.
By that time he knew his and his family's long-term future lay in training. It was back to Takanini, the racing-mad suburb of Auckland, where, by September '93, Tiley had Octagon Stables up and running. But this is all very much a stepping stone for the England-born New Zealand-raised Tiley who partnered over 100 winners during four years in Hong Kong and some 800 in total in a career which also spanned New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia.
'I quit when I did for two main reasons,' says Tiley as he sits in the Ascot Farm booth a few days before the Karaka Sales are due to start. 'First, we wanted to come back here to bring up the kids. 'But the bottom line is that I'd love to return to Hong Kong as a trainer. 'That is why I quit when I did. So that I could make use of all the contacts I'd made in Asia, especially in Hong Kong, when I was on a high and not when I was a has-been.' Those 100-plus winners including a Champions and Chater Cup and a Chairman's Prize on Quicken Away say that he did. Tiley has changed not one jot since leaving his Stubbs Road apartment with his wife Cathryn and their three children, Alexandra (five), Kate (four) and Ben (two). Ambition, drive and competition propel Tiley through life. Always have.
The financial imperative has long since disappeared from his life. He has a luxury house in Remuera, Auckland's smartest suburb, plus a 30-acre farm at Karaka just down the road from the sales ring. And he's just added the New Zealand Derby as a trainer to the one he lifted as a jockey. Having only held a trainer's licence for 15 months, Tiley gave an 'English' preparation to Look Who's Talking, to claim the three-year-old crown.
Surprise, surprise the son of Grosvenor is owned by three Hong Kong businessmen, Francis Liu, Ricky Leung and Adam Ho for whom Tiley used to ride such horses as the enigmatic grey, Allez Au Bon, who is now in training with Derek Cruz. 'When I won the New Zealand Derby as a jockey I just didn't appreciate what goes on to get the horse to the race, let alone win it,' said Tiley. 'I set him for one race beforehand, a NZ$30,000 maiden at Counties which he won and then prepared him for the Derby.
'He did two hours walking a day as well as his work. It was a real English-style preparation to get him to the race with all the mileage in him to make him stay but without putting him under undue pressure.' It clearly worked as from half a mile out, Look Who's Talking was always travelling like a winner before collaring the favourite and dual Group One winner, Avedon, by a head. Connections have seen Tiley qualify Hill's impressive Happy Valley winner Buddy for Hong Kong and he will be busy at the sales this week bidding for yearlings for Hong Kong owners. That's why his competitive spirit has seen Tiley down at the plush Karaka sales days before most of the other trainers, trying to get an edge.
