Tiley eyes future by cutting his stable size

Pukekohe trainer Nigel Tiley is pleased to be back at work, but the Covid-19 lockdown period gave him a chance to ponder what his business might look like in a “new normal”.

The champion jockey-turnedtrainer is cognisant all businesses have been hit hard by Covid-19 and issues facing racing in New Zealand have been exacerbated by the economic impact of the virus.

“I have had to make some pretty tough decisions,” Tiley said. “I don’t know what the prizemoney is going to be next season, so Lee [wife] and I took stock of all our bloodstock.

“We are realistically going to downsize our stock and we are looking at trying to sell down our interests in some of the horses and race them in Australia.

“It is the sensible thing for us to do with some of the nicer horses, such as Kissinger for example. He has been taken along quietly, and as a 4-yearold son of Tavistock, will slot into a nice stable in Australia without any problem.

“We will still be taking quite a few to the races here and I am pretty excited about a horse like Riding The Wave, who I think will be competitive at the top end and we will keep him here for now.”

The change in business model has meant job losses at the South Auckland stable but the experienced horseman was keen to take a waitand-see approach as racing looks to restart in July.

He was also keen to support racing on his home track, recognising the efficiencies for owners.

“With a number of meetings at Counties, I will probably just stay local.

“It saves travelling costs for the owners and there might be the odd one that we take to Te Rapa through July but I think with the numbers I have got, there will be enough races for us at Counties.”

The 61-year-old has ruled out relocating or setting up a satellite stable in Australia and believed the Covid-19 crisis was an opportunity for racing in New Zealand to redefine itself.

He was also thankful for the Government’s $72.5 million Covid-19 emergency relief package, which has largely been spent ensuring the TAB stayed solvent, in addition to investment in synthetic training and racing surfaces.

“It’s a time for everybody to reflect on what they want for the future,” Tiley said.