Nigel Tiley liked the look of Riodini and new Ellerslie surface on first day of competitive gallops

Riodini (front) winning his jumpout on the new Ellerslie surface on Monday. Photo / Trish Dunell.

Nigel Tiley liked what he saw at Ellerslie on Monday and not just from his stable star Riodini.

The former champion jockey is now the trainer of a select small team, having downsized his operation as he and wife Lee spend their winters living in Queensland.

But Tiley didn’t take much convincing to make room for Riodini when owner Alan Galbraith KC brought the millionaire galloper back from Australia and Tiley has spent a few months since working his old mate out.

“We had him as a three-year-old obviously before he went to Australia but he is a lot older now so we almost had to re-learn how to train him,” says Tiley.

“But he has really started to come to it now and he is doing so well I thought he needed a little jumpout which is why we took him to Ellerslie on Monday.”

Riodini was in one of the five jumpouts on Ellerslie’s first day of competitive gallops on the new StrathAyr surface and Tiley says the outing has tightened him up nicely for Saturday’s $400,000 TAB Classic at Trentham on Saturday.

“He had a little blow so he needed that but the jumpout and the trip down there will tighten him up nicely.

“He looks great and while barrier 14 doesn’t sound ideal he has been relaxing in his races so Sam (Spratt, jockey) will have options.”

Riodini wasn’t the only thing Tiley liked the look of on Monday as he was thrilled with the new StrathAyr surface, on which Ellerslie will host it’s first official trials this Monday.

“I went down the straight in front of the public stand to watch one heat and they were barely marking the track, it sounded perfect,” says Tiley.

“Ellerslie has always been one of my favourite tracks and one of the best tracks I ever rode on.

“It is a rider’s track. The undulations means you can use them to your advantage if you know how.

“You can move at the right time or conserve energy at the right time and it was always rider’s track and they have stayed true to that.

“It is the same wonderful track but just with a better turf on it and I can’t wait to get back there with some horses.

“It is world class facility from the track, to the front and back parade rings.

“I went home to Lee after the jumpouts and said that one morning being there has made me feel all competitive again.”

After how well the Ellerslie surface handled Monday’s jumpouts Auckland Thoroughbred Racing opened hospitality bookings for next year and there was huge instant demand for tickets for TAB Karaka Millions night on January 27.

** New Zealand’s senior jockey ranks are set to receive another boost with the return of Swedish rider Ulrika Holmquist who arrived in New Zealand this week and will stay until April.

Holmquist has ridden nearly 300 winners, including 5 black type victories, can ride at 52kgs and is available for rides from this week with well-known jockey manager Ted McLachlan taking her bookings.