Racing: Opie Bosson - We can win back-to-back at Group 1

Opie Bosson. Photo / Trish Dunell

Jockey Opie Bosson thinks Prise De Fer could make it back-to-back Group 1 wins on Boxing Day.

The perennial big-race placegetter finally broke through for his first Group 1 at Trentham last start and is a chance for his second in the Zabeel Classic at Pukekohe on Monday, and Bosson liked what he saw in Matamata trackwork on Wednesday.

“He was right in the zone, the best I have felt him for a long time,” Bosson said. “So he should be hard to beat again on Monday.”

Although Prise De Fer has been beaten in plenty of Group 1s, he finds himself in one without a superstar rival on Monday. While favourite Sinarahma also looks in career-best form, Prise De Fer beat her two starts ago.

The 2050m distance is probably at the end of Prise De Fer’s range but the Zabeel doesn’t look set to be hard-run so the son of Savabeel would be the one to beat if, as looks increasingly likely, the rain doesn’t arrive and Pukekohe stays on the better side of a soft5.

Bosson will also partner another last-start winner in Wild Night in the Uncle Remus Stakes on Monday, but questions remain about whether he will race well right-handed.

Wild Night has won four from five but all his races have been left-handed and he looked off his game when he trialled at Avondale (right-handed) before his last-start win.

He did win an Ellerslie trial last season and if he handles the track he looks the one to beat even though the Uncle Remus is a class field and he has to carry the topweight.

Bosson was happy with how the unbeaten Tokyo Tycoon (R2, No 2) felt in trackwork this week and he takes on some sharp juveniles including the impressive Impendabelle in the juvenile event on Monday, a race with Karaka Million repercussions as 10 of the 14 acceptors are eligible for the $1 million race back at Pukekohe on January 21.

“He won well fresh-up and worked well this week so from a good draw he will be very competitive.”

Bosson will also be busy at Matamata today where Te Akau trainer Mark Walker has an enormous team that look set to dominate the meeting, which will have two black-type trials before the first race.

Walker’s stakes-placed filly Sans Doute would usually be red hot for the maiden race seven on her home track but has a wide draw over 1050m and Bosson has been impressed with his mount Prince Lonhro who has won three of his four trials and looks to have the early acceleration to use barrier four.