Opie Bosson Ready to Return

No one has ridden more Group 1 winners domestically than Opie Bosson, and the three-time Champion Jockey is preparing for another season as No. 1 stable rider for Te Akau Racing.

Just turned 40, his 76 elite victories is keeping pace with other Australasian champion jockeys born in the same year (1980), Hugh Bowman and Kerrin McEvoy, who have 96 and 76 Group 1 wins respectively.

Bosson rode 18 horses for Te Akau at the Cambridge Stud trials on 28 July at Te Rapa, including impressive winner Need I Say More (No Nay Never), and plans a return to race day riding on Wednesday 12 August at Taupo. 

“My fitness is pretty good,” Bosson said. “I'm still working-out in the gym at Te Akau and I'm much lighter than I was at the same time last season.

“I've been riding a lot of nice horses for the last few seasons and while it's not for me to say how well I'm riding, I'm always trying to limit mistakes. I go out there with a plan: A, B, and C, and see how the race unfolds. But, I do get disappointed with myself if I make a mistake.”

After being apprenticed to Te Akau as a 13-year-old, riding his first winner at 15 and first Group 1 winner aged 17, Bosson came full circle with Te Akau to take up the position of stable rider in December 2016 and the relationship has flourished again since then. 

Stephen Autridge, his godfather, was the Te Akau trainer when Bosson signed on, before Mark Walker took over in 1998 and won five premierships prior to notching another three in his current role as Te Akau trainer in Singapore. Autridge was back to join in partnership with Jamie Richards when they won the premiership in 2015/16, and Richards has just completed his second season as solo trainer by winning the premiership with 101 wins after finishing second on 98 in 2018/19.

As a 17-year-old, Bosson whet his appetite for winning Group 1 races aboard Jezabeel (Zabeel) on 1 January 1998 in the Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie, and within the month had added the Telegraph Handicap (1200m) on Vegas (Kaapstad), Thorndon Mile (1600m) on Fayerform (Tights), both at Trentham, before rounding out a Group 1 hat-trick on the latter in February with victories in the Whakanui Stud International Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa, and New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie. 

In April the same year, he added the Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m) aboard Zola (Volksraad), gaining his first offshore Group 1 victory on Grand Archway (Archway) in the Victorian Oaks (2500m) during Melbourne Cup week at Flemington, and notched the first of seven 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) wins aboard Danske (Danehill). 

Bosson rode his first Group 1 winner for Te Akau aboard Distinctly Secret (Distinctly North) in the 2003 Kelt Capital Stakes (2040m), quickly followed by King's Chapel (King of Kings) in the 2000 Guineas (1600m). There were multiple Group 1 successes for the stable aboard Darci Brahma (Danehill), Princess Coup (Encosta De Lago), and King's Rose (Redoute's Choice), before a run that started with Hall of Fame (Savabeel) and Gingernuts (Iffraaj) early in 2017 that has stretched to 20 Group 1 wins for Te Akau in the past three seasons - a phenomenal achievement. 

It has been a remarkable career, often tinged with physical hardships in maintaining riding weight, but one he can be proud of.

“I started with Te Akau when I was 13 and it's just grown, and grown, into a pretty big business now,” Bosson said. “When we first started out, we were trying our best to get owners and horses, but now it's become one of the biggest racing operations in New Zealand. It's very professional and David (Ellis) buys some beautiful horses which makes things easier for me.  

“They have always had a good eye of a horse. Even in the early days, the cheaper horses Dave was buying were still very nice horses. King's Chapel cost $35,000 and became Horse of the Year, and Integrate was another one. All of them, Dave, Mark (Walker), and Jamie (Richards), have all got a great eye for a horse. And now they're able to buy a better quality breed, as well.”

Overseeing everything, Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM has played a significant role in the life of Opie Bosson.

“Dave has been really good for me and he's always been someone I can talk to,” Bosson said. “He knows me as a person and it's good that I can go and talk to him about life in general as well as racing, which helps, and it's been good to continue our relationship since I've returned as stable rider.

“I came back on Boxing Day in 2016 at Ellerslie, when we had wins with Splurge and Hall of Fame, and a month later Melody Belle was the first of four Karaka Million's in a row for me on Te Akau horses.”

While operating at the top-end, in the sales ring and the race track, Ellis has also bestowed opportunity upon apprentice jockeys and given a significant number their first win. Seven Te Akau apprentices in the past six seasons have won races, five of them riding their first winner on stable runners, including Daniel Miller, Jasmine Fawcett, Chelsea Burdan, and most recently Joe Kamaruddin aboard Al Haram (Sea the Stars) on 25 July at Avondale.

“Dave enjoys seeing young people doing well and he likes seeing them succeed when they work hard,” Bosson said. “It's why he's given so many apprentices a chance, and given them their first winners, like myself, and Vinnie (Colgan), Troy (Harris), Darren Weatherley, and Shafiq (Rusof).”

It was Fairlie Airlie (Zephyr Bay) that provided Bosson his first victory, in 1995, at Gisborne.

“I just got beaten on him at Dargaville - one of my first race day rides, on my first day of riding - and then we took him to Gisborne,” Bosson said. “He was one of my favourite horses at the stables and it was a big thrill, really, especially on a horse that I really liked.”

The following season, Bosson kicked in at stakes level when runner-up on Courteous (Pompeii Court) in the NZ Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 2, 1600m) at Te Aroha, won by Diablo Girl (Bletchencore), and in the year, after a few more stakes placed performances, he broke through aboard smart mare La Rose Noir (Centaine) in the FAI Bowl (Listed, 1000m) at Pukekohe. 

He had further stakes successes on Ben's Gold (All Glory) in the Taumarunui Cup (Listed, 2100m) at Te Rapa, Manchu Warrior (Veloso) in the Taylor Preston Mile (Gr. 3, 1600m) at Awapuni, Batavian (Straussbrook) in the Deutz Stakes (Gr. 3, 2000m) at Ellerslie, and Zola (Volksraad) in the Fairview Ford Stakes (Listed, 1000m) at Te Rapa, before his Group 1 success on Jezabeel opened the floodgates.

“It took me a little while to, not settle down, but learn to relax a little bit,” Bosson said. “Mark Walker was a big help with that. He said: “Just go out there and enjoy yourself. You know what you're doing, just relax and enjoy it”. So, I started doing that and things started going right. Instead of trying to make things happen, and getting panicky, or nervous, I just let things happen and stayed relaxed. I've stuck by that advice and I've enjoyed what I've achieved so far.”

Now back where it all started at Te Akau, with a lapful experience, and racking up an incredible amount of Group 1 winners, Bosson loves the current situation.

“To come back and win the Derby on Gingernuts was a big thrill, but winning Group 1 races on the likes of Melody Belle and Avantage has been special too,” he said. “They both try so hard and no matter what distance they race over, they give you one-hundred percent. 

“And Te Akau Shark, winning a Group 1 on him in Australia was right up there, especially winning another Group 1 on the same day with Probabeel. I wanted him to prove that he (Te Akau Shark) was a Group 1 horse in Australia, and he did an amazing job of winning.”

While riding most winners for Te Akau when Mark Walker was trainer, Bosson is fast making inroads under Jamie Richards. He has a 30% winning strike rate with Richards, 70 winners, $7.1m in prize money, and an incredible 13 Group 1 winners in two seasons. 

“Jamie is doing a great job and we have a lot of nice horses coming up for the new season,” Bosson said. “Need I Say More could be one to follow after trialling so well at Te Rapa, and he's already won a Group 3 in two starts. He's got such a big stride and I think he'll handle better footing. 

“Jamie is on to it, mentally, and always been a hard worker. He got a good grounding training in partnership with Stevie (Autridge) and he was ready when he took over. He's proved it too, the way he's handled a lot of these good horses. 

“He's not afraid to ask for advice, which I think is really good. You never stop learning in life and training horses has so many different things to think about, so asking questions is the best way to learn. 

“He knows all the horses well, how good they are, and places them in the right races. He's also very good working with horses that have injuries or a few troubles. And he'll ride them himself to understand how they're feeling and get them going well, which I think is a huge help.”

Bosson has ridden 64 stakes' winners for Te Akau, including 30 Group 1, and given a recent birthday is now one of the more senior riders in New Zealand.

“There are a lot of young ones coming through, some at the trials I've never seen before and don't know their names,” he said. “It's certainly different not being out there riding against the usual mates I've been riding with for most of my career, and with someone like Mickey (Coleman) it's sad when they have to end their careers through injury. 

“I'm happy with the way my body feels. I've been quite lucky, actually.”

Married to Trackside presenter Emily Bosson (nee Murphy), the pair farm at Pukekohe, ably assisted by 18-month-old son Max. 

“The farm is going good and we've just got a few cattle on at the moment,” Bosson said. “It keeps me busy when I'm not riding and I really enjoy the farm work. It clears the mind and lets me concentrate on doing something different. 

“I ask a lot of farming advice from Dave (Ellis), about drench and all sorts of things. I'd like to fertilize as much as he does, but don't have the funds. I try to, though, and he keeps telling me I've got to. 

“Max is a happy little boy, just getting into riding his pony. So, you never know, he might be one that comes through as a jockey. Dave saw him at the races recently at Te Rapa, and said there's only 13 more years to go and he can be an apprentice at Te Akau. He's out on the farm with me every day.”

During the season just ended, Bosson was leading jockey during the Sydney Autumn Carnival with four Group 1 wins, including Probabeel in the Surround Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m) and Te Akau Shark in the Chipping Norton Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m), both for Te Akau, and additional wins aboard Quick Thinker (So You Think) in the ATC Derby (Gr. 1, 2400m) for trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, and Tofane (Ocean Park) for Mike Moroney in the All Aged Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m). 

“I had a great autumn in Sydney and thought about staying to ride over there, but when I got back to the farm I had a change of mind and thought I'd like to stay here. A bit had to do with them leaving the stakes as they are for the upcoming season, which is promising compared to what we were thinking during lockdown. It could have been a major drop in stakes. I'm happy with the way everything is going at the moment and I can't complain.”

Finally, the man that gave him a start, Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM, deserves the last word on a great jockey: “We're all incredibly proud of Opie. He's such a talented rider and to have surpassed the Group 1 record of someone as competitive and professional as Lance O'Sullivan (ONZM) is no mean feat.

“I think Opie is coming into the best form he's ever been. He's got his weight right down, 9kgs lighter than he was this time last year and I think we'll see him have another really good season.”

Additional statistical information provided by Alex Steedman (Racing and Sports), Aidan Rodley (Trackside) and Tim Barton (New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing).

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