South Auckland trainer Nigel Tiley will take a team of three to Ellerslie’s twilight meeting on Thursday to race in front of an anticipated bumper crowd at the Auckland track.
Leading Tiley’s charge will be four-year-old gelding Riding The Wave who will contest the Barfoot & Thompson Twilight Cup (1500m).
The son of Malibu Moon was brave in defeat over 1400m at Ellerslie last start, when rundown late by Pierina, who will line-up in the GR.3 J Swap Contractors Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa on Saturday.
“I thought it was a really good run, he got beaten right on the line by a horse that was probably unlucky in a fillies and mares weight-for-age race (Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes, 1400m) the week before,” Tiley said.
“He will improve with that run, but I don’t think the draw (barrier one) is ideal for him because he is a horse that likes a bit of galloping room. He’s probably not really suited to lead in like he did last start.
“In saying that, I am very happy with the horse.”
Riding The Wave will be partnered by Victorian-based jockey Jordan Childs, who is part of the international team competing in the Barfoot & Thompson Jockeys’ World Cup (JWC) on Thursday.
All going to plan, Riding The Wave will return to Ellerslie on Boxing Day to contest the Dunstan Feeds 1500m Championship.
“I have got him in the 1500m Dunstan Final,” Tiley said. “If he happened to win tomorrow we would look at that.”
Tiley will also line-up Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) hopeful Clever Approach in the First Global Logistics – Asendia 2100.
The Dawn Approach gelding also heads into Thursday off the back of a runner-up performance at Tauranga and Tiley is expecting a good showing from the three-year-old.
“He had to do a bit of work in his last start,” Tiley said. “He was a bit slow away and had to do a little bit of work from the half mile to the corner.
“He probably peaked on his run a little bit, but in saying that, he was still three-lengths clear of the third horse. All-in-all it was a pretty good run.
“We would like to think if we could win a race or two with him on the way through that we could have a crack at the Derby.
“Having another run around Ellerslie is definitely an advantage for him.”
Tiley’s third runner of the meeting is Thousandkissesdeep who will line-up in the Evenflo 1400.
The daughter of Sepoy will be aiming to clear maiden company at her seventh attempt, and Tiley is hopeful rather than confident with the three-year-old after drawing barrier 10.
“She has got a tricky draw to overcome,” he said. “Her last start, she probably peaked on her run I would say. “She was going to run a place and then I think she just knocked up the last 100m. You would like to think she has taken some improvement from her previous run.”
