Racing: Opie-dokie - No need to waste a Million words

Opie Bosson aboard Imperatriz. Photo / Trish Dunell

The conversations between champion trainer Mark Walker and his superstar jockey Opie Bosson will be brief at the Karaka Million at Pukekohe this evening.

“We have been doing this together for a long time so I don’t tell him much and he does the same with me,” says Walker. “It seems to work so we aren’t going to change now.”

Walker and Bosson combine this evening with three favourites and possibly four if the hard money comes for Wild Night in the $1 million Karaka Classic Mile.

Walker rates Railway winner Imperatriz (R2, No 1) as the best of his truckloads of chances.

“This race suits her well and while she has a bit of weight I don’t think it will be stopping her,” he says.

Walker feels almost as confident with Maven Belle in race three with the usual horseman’s doubt over a stunning fresh-up winner returning to the races.

“Sometimes when they go a boomer like she did fresh-up they may not be as sharp second time around and she is up against a good horse in Pier. But they are my only reservations around her, I’m not worried about the draw. We have four others in that race but I can’t see them beating her.”

Walker says his stayers are a chance in race one without being too confident, and cannot split two sharp mares in race five, the Concorde.

“Synchronize won so well last start she has to be a chance but I think Fashion Shoot (R5, No 13) could have beaten her with a gap in the straight.

“I really can’t split them at all,” says Walker.

With one paying $5 and the other $10,punters don’t have to. They can back both and even add in the likes of Green Aeon and El Vencedor in a mini-bracket if they want to take a stand against favourite Bonny Lass because of her 60kg topweight.

Walker then moves to the serious business of the two $1 million Sales races, races his Te Akau predecessor Jamie Richards was winning for fun.

He has seven in the juvenile scramble and suggests Bosson is right to ride Trobriand (R4, No 1), but says Talisker could be the bolter.

“He keeps improving at the right time while Tokyo Tycoon can still win from his wide gate but will need something upside down to happen.

“And the other four have all earned their right to be there and are good horses.

“It is a very even field though so even with all those numbers we are no certainty. But I’m happy with the horses.”

Then it is Wild Night versus Legarto in the closer, with a support cast every trainer is yelling shouldn’t be ignored. Most punters will pass though as Legarto and Wild Night will dominate the market and Walker says his boy can win because he will be even more potent over 1600m.

“He is a pretty serious horse but then again so are Legarto and Prowess. But I wouldn’t swap mine,” the trainer says.

Perhaps the biggest certainty of Karaka Million night is Walker will train a winner and Bosson will ride one. How many they combine for will determine whether bookies or punters come out on top.