Bosson closes on jockeys' premiership

ANDREW GORRIE/The Dominion Post

VICTORY SALUTE: Opie Bosson gestures after he and Ekstreme won the Captain Cook Group One Stakes at Trentham in Wellington on Saturday.

ANDREW GORRIE/The Dominion Post

NICE FINISH: Ekstreme and Opie Bosson pass the winning post first in the Captain Cook Stakes.

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The Palmerston North jockey is just one win behind premiership leader James McDonald after a winning treble at Trentham on Saturday.

Bosson's Trentham haul included the Group One Captain Cook Stakes on Ekstreme, to give him three Group One wins in a month, following Katie Lee's Guineas double at Riccarton.

Bosson will team up with Katie Lee again in the Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m) at Awapuni next weekend.

Although Bosson has strong claims to be ranked as New Zealand's leading rider, his sole premiership win came as an apprentice, in the 1997-98 season.

He was the runner-up to Darryl Bradley the following year, when still an apprentice, and finished third in the 2006-07 season, when he won 14 group and listed races.

He has twice finished fourth in the premiership over the last decade but weight restrictions, stints overseas and a couple of breaks from riding have meant he has rarely been a genuine premiership contender.

However, his current riding weight is lighter than it has been for years, giving him an opportunity to at least be a contender this year.

But winning the premiership is not yet a priority. "No, not really," Bosson said yesterday. "But we will see how it goes."

Bosson has been able to get down to 53.5 kilogram term. "I haven't been that light for years. I might finally have worked out how to keep it under control.

"I still have to take off a fair bit to ride that light but nothing like I used to have to do."

Bosson's riding agent, Butch Fisher, believes that Bosson can keeps his rivals "honest' in the premiership battle.

"He [Bosson] has just been riding so well over the last month," Fisher said. "He's riding as good as I've ever seen him ride, if not better.

"He's making so many smart decisions. He's freakish at tacking on to the right horse to bring him into the race.

"He rarely gets into a position where he's unlucky and is usually in clear air over the last 500m."

Fisher believes a combination of factors have contributed to Bosson's form. "He's 29 now and his weight is under control."

Bosson, who has won 50 races this term, ranks as the leading jockey for the season on almost every count. He is second on the premiership, has won more black-type races than any other rider and his mounts have earned the most stakemoney.

In addition, only one rider in the top 35 on the premiership – Matamata apprentice Vincent Ho – has a superior strike rate.

Bosson's mounts have earned $1.5 million with Buddy Lammas the only other rider who has topped $1m in stakes.

Bosson has won 98 black-type races in New Zealand and the Captain Cook win enabled him to tick off another Group One race.

"I think the [New Zealand] Derby and the Otaki-Maori Group One are now the only ones I haven't won."

The NZ Derby is the one obvious gap in Bosson's CV and has been something of a bogey race for him.

His best result from eight rides has been a fourth on Cheval De Troy, who was a $1.95 favourite in 2004. Buzz Lightyear ran 11th in 1999, as a $2.55 favourite, and Magic Cape was second favourite when unplaced two years ago.

Bosson has formed a good partnership with Ekstreme, with two wins and two seconds from five rides, with the one unplaced run coming in the Queensland Oaks.

"I've always liked her and she's going to get better and better," Bosson said after the Captain Cook win. "She's got a good turn of foot."Fairfax

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