Racing: King’s ransom: ‘Opie Tax’ as Trobriand draws barrier six

Opie Bosson. Photo / Photosport

The king of the Karaka Million admits the barrier draw forced his hand in choosing Trobriand in Saturday’s $1 million juvenile rush at Pukekohe.

But that didn’t stop the “Opie Tax” being applied almost the minute the markets reopened yesterday.

Opie Bosson has ridden five of the last six Karaka Million winners, only missing On The Bubbles because of suspension, and waited until yesterday’s barrier draw to decide between the unbeaten pair of Tokyo Tycoon and Trobriand.

Trobriand drew barrier six while Tokyo Tycoon copped barrier 14 so there was little thinking to be done.

“The barrier draw made it pretty straight-forward,” says Bosson.

“There isn’t much between them but Trobriand’s draw gives him a lot more options than the other horses so my decision is based on that.

“That is not to say Tokyo Tycoon can’t win because clearly he can, it is just harder.”

Bosson’s decision means South African jockey Craig Zackey will ride Tokyo Tycoon. His call was always going to affect the market, but even the TAB bookies didn’t anticipate what happened next.

Trobriand, who had started the day as the pre-draw $5 second favourite, was reopened in the final field market at $3.80 and quickly backed into $3 with the possibility he will start shorter.

Many of Bosson’s rides start shorter than they probably should, a term known in racing circles as the “Opie Tax”, with so many punters backing Bosson and driving the price down.

But “Opie Tax” is felt most when he rides one of several starters trainer Mark Walker has in a maiden race, or in bigger numbers on Karaka Million night, for which he has been the poster boy for the better part of a decade.

Bosson is already in Karaka Million mode, mentally dialled into the big day and therefore curbing his natural enthusiasm and opinions.

He loves Trobriand’s attitude and was happy enough with his work at Pukekohe on Monday, even though Tokyo Tycoon looked sharper.

“He isn’t the sort of horse who is going to fly in his work, but he worked well enough,” Bosson says of Trobriand.

“But this is a very even Karaka Million and there are some good horses drawn inside us, a real improver could be another of the stablemates in Talisker. So it will be a good race.”

Pre-draw second favourite Ethereal Star looks to have drawn perfectly at barrier three with Damian Lane to ride, and was quickly in from $7 to $5.50 post-draw.

The two stars who dominate a wonderful Karaka 3YO Mile in Wild Night (barrier two) and Legarto (one) drew alongside each other, and while Bosson says his draw on Wild Night is perfect, Legarto may find herself in a new position in between horses from the ace draw.

Both have tended to race back of midfield but Bosson says he can stay handier stepping up to the 1600m with perhaps less tempo, and expects Ryan Elliot on Legarto to try to get on his back.

While the $1 million mile is anything but a two-horse race, the draws set up an intriguing tactical battle and should cap one of the great nights of the racing season.