Racing: Bosson whistled up for Sakura Girl’s Queensland journey

Cambridge filly Sakura Girl. Photo / Supplied

Ben Foote has taken the “if you can’t beat em, join em” approach by engaging champion jockey Opie Bosson for Sakura Girl for her lucrative Queensland campaign.

The Cambridge filly makes her Australian debut in the A$300,000 Doomben Roses on Saturday before tackling the A$700,000 Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm on June 3.

Sakura Girl takes strong New Zealand form to Australia, having raced with credit against subsequent Australian group 1 winners Prowess and Pennyweka, and was a brave last-start second to in-form older mare Aromatic in the Travis Stake at Te Rapa.

Aromatic was ridden that day by Opie Bosson and trainer Foote says he has had enough to trying to beat the superstar jockey so booked him for Sakura Girl for both The Roses and the Oaks.

“Every time I lose a major race it feels like it is Opie beating us,” laughs Foote.

Aromatic was just the last straw after Foote’s stable star Babylon Berlin twice had to bow to Imperatriz and Bosson in groups 1s this summer.

“I’m thrilled to get Opie on and I think she is ready to go a couple of really big races,” says Foote.

“She needed the run last time behind Aromatic and so will be fitter and not as fresh this week, so hopefully that will help her settle.”

Sakura Girl, who won the Sunline Vase in March, has been in Queensland over a week and has settled in beautifully.

“My son Ryan is over there looking after her and she is staying with Peter Robl so she is in good hands.

“Peter told me her work today [Tuesday] was as good as you could have hoped for so while she should be peaking for the Oaks, she is ready to go.”

While Sakura Girl doesn’t have to race on the pace she has the natural early speed to do so and that could be a big advantage around Doomben in The Roses.

Some of those she is taking on will not have anything like her 2000m credentials so if Bosson can set his own terms it could test his rival’s stamina and avoid traffic from those struggling with the distance.

Sakura Girl is the $4.50 pre-draw second favourite in Australia for The Roses while she is the $6 equal second favourite for the Oaks.

She won’t be the only Cambridge filly heading to the Oaks as Cheval D’Or is confirmed as going for trainer Tony Pike but will head to the Oaks without a lead-up run after winning the Trelawney Championship at Pukekohe on April 22.

Another Cambridge three-year-old Pinarello used a very similar programme on his way to winning the Queensland Derby last season.

“She will have a gallop between races at Te Rapa this week to bring on her then straight into the Oaks,” says Pike.

Foote flies to Queensland this morning but also lines up some talented maidens at today’s Cambridge synthetic meeting, which has drawn large fields as trainers look to avoid the recent mudbath tracks.

“A couple of the ones I have lining up will really improve with the runs and some extra distance but I have a horse who has come back from Hong Kong called Ka Ying Lucky (R9, No.3) who is pretty smart and will be hard to beat,” Foote told the Herald.