Horse racing: Opie Bosson joins exclusive 2000-win club

Opie Bosson rode Move to Strike to his 2000th win. Photo / Race Images

There were plenty of times superstar jockey Opie Bosson thought he had no chance of ever making the 2000-win club.

So when he finally did join one of the most elite clubs in New Zealand racing, he was thrilled it came on a horse worthy of the milestone.

Bosson became just the eighth jockey to  ride 2000 domestic winners when Move To Strike recorded a stunning debut in the opening race at Te Rapa on Saturday.

The muscular son of I Am Invincible was the most heavily-backed horse in New Zealand on Saturday and exploded from off the pace to win a strong juvenile event, Bosson fist-pumping at the line in satisfaction and excitement for the equine talent underneath him.

“He’s a real racehorse,” said Bosson. “He came back to scale like an old relaxed gelding, even after doing that. So to get the 2000th win on a horse like him, who could be a budding superstar, felt really appropriate.”

Just as fitting is that Move To Strike is a Te Akau horse, co-trained by Mark Walker, two of the biggest influences on Bosson’s racing career.

Bosson has needed the help of Walker, Te Akau boss David Ellis and his own wife Emily in recent years, as it wasn’t that long ago, Bosson sat in the Trentham jockeys’ room, spent and ready for retirement.

The constant yo-yoing of wasting  to ride around 55kg had drained him of his enthusiasm for the industry and it was only through good people and a desire to not waste a unique talent that Bosson fought his way back.

“This is very satisfying after what has been some tough times,” Bosson said.

“I’m lucky to have some good people helping me, and at the moment, things are great, with horses like Imperatriz, plenty of other good ones, and even juveniles like this horse coming though.”

The other seven jockeys to reach 2000 domestic winners are Chris Johnson (the  leader on 2515), David Walsh, Lance O’Sullivan, Noel Harris, Bill Skelton, Michael Coleman and David Peake.

Bosson wasn’t done for the day, as he was aggressive on Campionessa in a race-winning move to capture the richest event yesterday, the $175,000 Cal Isuzu Stakes.

The high-class mare jumped to straight outside the leader, took the one-one and never looked like being beaten in a win that sets her up beautifully for the Group 1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic at Pukekohe on Boxing Day.

Saturday’s other main event also had a fitting feeling to it, as Dionysus won the $140,000 SkyCity Waikato Cup. He is trained by Roger James and Robert Wellwood, who just a few days ago had to retire their stable star Prowess because of hoof issues.

She will head to stud but Dionysus can head to any of the major Cups that James and Wellwood want, as he is stayer with range, albeit he had to work hard to claw his way past Prise De Fer courtesy of an inch-perfect Warren Kennedy ride.

One of the upsets of the day came via Zecora in the $120,000 J Swap Sprint for trainers Robyn and Russell Rogers, who produced a gem of a training performance to secure their mare Group 3 black type in only her second start since this time last year.

The mare stormed home in the hands of Lynsey Satherley after the leaders went hard and set up a fast 1m 21.5s for the 1400m, Zecora just nosing out Tevere.

The other shock to punters came when Pendragon led throughout to down favourites Quintessa and Tokyo Tycoon in a race that will change the markets for some big 3-year-old races of the summer.

Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.