Horse racing: Superstar jockey Opie Bosson may be in unusual position at Matamata

Captured By Love winning at Taranaki on February 3.

Superstar jockey Opie Bosson may find himself in a very unusual position at Matamata tomorrow.

He could be riding a high-class Te Akau filly who is unbeaten in three starts, back on her home track who doesn’t even start favourite in the $150,000 J Swap Matamata Breeders Stakes.

Bosson, fresh back from riding Imperatriz to win the Lightning Stakes in Melbourne last week, will partner Captured By Love in the Group 2 and she has the sort of profile that would usually guarantee hot favouritism.

But the juvenile fillies crop looks exceptionally strong this season, with Captured By Love to meet stunning debut winner Alabama Lass and the ultra-impressive Archaic Smile, while waiting in the wings for Ellerslie in two weeks is Karaka Million winner Velocious.

Add to that her runner-up Damask Rose and Bellatrix Star and it looks like one of the great freshman filly crops of recent times.

That is not to say Captured By Love may not be the equal of the others and she can only win but Bosson knows she will need to be good to win tomorrow’s feature.

“There are some really good juveniles around, especially the fillies,” he told the Herald.

“I think my filly didn’t really handle the wet track at New Plymouth last start but was still good enough to win so she could win again.

“But Alabama Lass looked very good winning on debut, everybody saw what she did, while Pikey’s filly [Archaic Smile] is also sharp.

“I have ridden in gallops against her a few times and liked what I saw from her.

“I think it is going to be a really good race and we will know more about where they all stand after Saturday.”

Bosson has more confidence about his winning hopes in tomorrow’s other juvenile event for the boys in which he partners Move To Strike.

The colt made a massive impression winning on debut in December but was surprisingly beaten by Bellatrix Star on New Year’s Day, albeit he still beat Velocious home.

Move To Strike has since had blinkers added and Bosson says that may be the key tomorrow.

“He is so, so laid back,” he explains.

“But I galloped him in blinkers a few weeks ago and he was great. I think they will switch him on this weekend and he is a very good horse so he is the one to beat.”

Bosson suggests Val Di Zoldo could be a good each-way play in the last race for punters.

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.