Racing: Top jockey back from HK and set to go

Opie Bosson has been welcomed back into the fold.

The champion jockey, who has ended his Hong Kong contract, arrived back in New Zealand yesterday afternoon and will have about 15 mounts over the weekend.

He is likely to have a full book at the twilight meeting at Ellerslie on Saturday and will also ride at Te Rapa on Sunday.

In addition, he has been engaged to ride the talented Hasselhoof in the Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham on Saturday week.

Bosson rode on the first day of the New Zealand Cup meeting this month but otherwise hasn't ridden in New Zealand since beginning his Hong Kong stint in April.

He struggled for form mounts in Hong Kong, especially in the new season. He won four races from 95 mounts in the last quarter of the 2015-16 season but had just one win from 70 rides in the new season.

"I'm looking forward to getting on some nice horses [in New Zealand] rather than slow ones," he said. "I didn't have much luck [in Hong Kong] especially in the second half.

"I still enjoyed my time there. I made some good friends and loved the racing."

Bosson also found his opportunities limited by his weight in Hong Kong and, like all other riders, was up against the Joao Moreira factor.

Moreira, who has been based in Hong Kong since October 2013, dominates the jockeys' premiership. He set a record tally of 145 wins when winning the Hong Kong premiership in the 2014-15 season and did even better last season, with 168 wins, 88 clear of the runner-up Zac Purton, with a winning strike rate of 25 per cent. It has been a similar pattern for Moreira this term, with 42 wins and a 23 per cent strike rate.

"I haven't come across anyone like him," said Bosson, who rates Moreira as the best he has ridden against. "Just look at his record. Horses just run for him. He can ride at any weight and basically gets the choice of any horse he wants [in Hong Kong]."

Bosson rode Jon Snow for Cambridge trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman in the Two Thousand Guineas at Riccarton this month and will ride several horses for the stable this weekend.

Baker and Forsman have form runners in two group races this weekend.

Three-year-old Maraini will be a leading chance in the Wellington Stakes (1600m) at Otaki tomorrow and Saint Emilion, Mime and Coldplay will tackle the Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie.

- NZ Racing Desk