KEY POINTS:
Opie Bosson's stand-down from riding for an indefinite period has lasted just one week.
The high-class rider says he is bored after watching from the sideline for only one weekend and will be riding at Wanganui on Saturday and at Foxton on Monday.
Two weeks ago Bosson's tough
fight against increasing weight got the better of him mentally after he was fined for failing to ride at an agreed 55.5kg at an Avondale midweek meeting.
The Matamata jockey said at the time that he would take a break during the winter months in the hope of stabilising his bodyweight.
But the lure has proved too tough.
Bosson said yesterday that he would continue to ride through the winter, taking rides at 56kg and higher.
"I got bored pretty quickly."
Last weekend Bosson strapped for the Stephen Autridge and Graeme Rogerson stable at Trentham, producing Galaxy Stakes winner Vegas Showgirl.
For that same stable he will ride Rotorua winner Ave Maree in Saturday's $60,000 Wanganui Stakes and for Mark Walker he will ride Abbey Way in the 2-year-old event.
On Monday he is engaged for the Murray Baker-trained Tariq in the $50,000 Castletown Stakes at Foxton.
After impressive trials form, Tariq finished a close fourth on debut at the recent Hawera meeting.
Baker also has debut runner-up Rios in the Castletown.
Bosson sits second on the jockeys' premiership behind Lisa Cropp - 121 wins to 115.
The stake earnings of $2,658,415 and $2,571,333 are similar, but Bosson has had 230 fewer rides.
Ave Maree won a Rating 92 event impressively at Rotorua two weeks ago, but has to step up to weight-for-age class in Saturday's Wanganui Stakes.
She will face the likes of Bulginbaah, who will appreciate the weight-for-age conditions.
Bulginbaah will be ridden by Chris Johnson in the absence of regular jockey Jason Symes, who is on a brief riding stint in Samoa.
One of the favourites will be in-form Baltaine, a winner at Ellerslie and Te Rapa before being beaten a nose by Mi Jubilee at Te Rapa.
Baltaine was ridden in the two most recent of those races by claiming apprentice Lee Callaway and the Evan and JJ Rayner stable has decided to leave the Cambridge apprentice on even though there are no claims in Saturday's big race.