Legarto won the Herbie Dyke Stakes two years ago and has a new jockey in Opie Bosson today. Photo / Kenton Wright
Champion jockey Opie Bosson is going to back to the future at Te Rapa’s richest race meeting of the season today.
Bosson could end up on the favourite in at least five of the nine races including being on the two biggest market movers in today’s Group 1 races, Legarto in the $700,000 Herbie Dyke Stakes and Arkansaw Kid in the $500,000 BCD Sprint.
He also rides Esperanza and Miss Jones as favourites in opening two races while Towering Vision is the likely public elect in the $275,000 Legacy Lodge Waikato Guineas.
And while Khaleesi is the least-exposed of Bosson’s rides today the Stephen Marsh-trained mare is the $2.60 favourite in the $350,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic.
Bosson is no stranger to carrying punters on his shoulders at our biggest race meetings but since he returned to riding from a short-lived retirement he has rarely had such a strong book of black-type rides.
Bosson is still doing a lot of riding for Te Akau, with whom he was formerly on a retainer, but is now free to take more outside rides and he looks back in form, including winning the $1,040,000 Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic with Tuxedo at Ellerslie on Karaka Millions night.
“I feel like I am riding well and enjoying it, but I still have to watch me weight,” says Bosson.
He rides Legarto for the first time in a race in today’s Herbie Dyke and says the return to Te Rapa could aid the wonderful mare who has been one-paced at times this season.
“It is great to have a ride on her because she has been such a special mare but it won’t be easy to beat Kingswood.
“He has the draw to be up on the speed and was so good winning the Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie. He will be hard to get past.
“But Legarto likes Te Rapa and this is her chance to show her best again.”
Bosson pilots Arkansaw Kid in the BCD Sprint and in a race lacking natural leaders he should be able to get handy from barrier 7 or even take control of the race.
“He is a lovely big horse and if he can sit on the speed and they don’t go hard he has to be hard to beat.”
If either Legarto or Arkansaw Kid can win today Bosson will move to 100 Group 1 wins in New Zealand, having sat on 99 for the last 14 months, much of that while retired.
Towering Vision (R4, No 1) impressed Bosson with his last-start Ellerslie win and he thinks the ace draw could suit in the Guineas.
“I think covered up doing no work on the rails will suit him so he deserves to be favourite and I think he will handle the 2000m.”
For all the class of his group race rides today you almost get the feeling Bosson is most excited about jumping back on Khaleesi in the Karapiro Classic.
It is the huge-money special conditions race that tests trainer’s skills at having the right horse down in the grades to start their campaign then timing their preparation perfectly to get to today without too much weight or hard racing.
“She gave me a good feel winning at Ellerslie then trialled really well at Pukekohe so she is going to take a lot of beating.”
While Bosson says he doesn’t know all that much about Esperanza, who he has only ridden once ahead of today’s opener, he is adamant Miss Jones is the one to beat in Race 2 with her three wins in a row making her stand out.
But she is against a stunning debut winner in Sarti in what could prove an early highlight on one of the great days on the racing calendar.
Today’s Te Rapa features summarised.
R4, $275,000 Legacy Lodge Waikato Guineas: Even and tricky for the punt but Towering Vision comes in well at weights. Maybe the “be careful” race.
R5, $350,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic: Super deep field but Khaleesi looks spot on and has plenty in her favour.
R6, $700,000 Herbie Dyke Stakes: Kingswood was so brilliant winning the Zabeel Classic and has to be the clear top pick with Hinekaha the best each way value.
R7, $275,000 Ellis Classic: This will be fun. The emerging form of Ohope Wins and Chilling Out versus the more established Tajana. Chilling Out might be the best bet but hard to work out who is the best filly.
R8, $500,000 BCD Group Sprint: The Aussies ran 1-2 in the Railway and while this is stronger they are best suited by the w-f-a scale. Here To Shock’s 1400m form and his demo job in this race last year makes him the one to beat.
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.