Victory on the Mike Moroney-trained Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park) in Saturday’s Gr.1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick capped off a stellar autumn for Kiwi jockey Opie Bosson.
New Zealand’s leading rider had already tasted Group One success on Probabeel (Surround Stakes, 1400m), Te Akau Shark (George Ryder Stakes, 1500m) and Quick Thinker (Australian Derby, 2400m) during the Sydney carnival and took his career tally to 76 victories at the elite level with his weekend win.
The victory was made even sweeter by his decision to stay on in Sydney for an extra week after he had originally planned to return to New Zealand after riding on the final day of The Championships at Randwick seven days earlier.
Opie Bosson guides Tofane to victory in the Gr.1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Royal RandwickPhoto: Bradleyphotos.com.au“I was planning on coming back after last weekend but I knew Quick Thinker was running again and Tofane as well so I decided to stay on another week,” Bosson said.
“I rode her (Tofane) last time when she ran fifth behind Nature Strip and she gave a me a really nice feel so I was keen to stay back and have another crack at them.”
Bosson is looking forward to returning home to his wife Emily and son Max and to getting back to the fresh air and open spaces of his Pukekawa farm after battling boredom during his stay in a Sydney apartment for the past few weeks.
“I’ve been at an apartment for the majority of the time and have only been out to go to trackwork on a Tuesday and ride on raceday,” he said.
“On raceday I had a room to myself but the last two weeks I’ve been with English rider Tom Marquand.
“When you get on track you get your temperature taken and then you are in the room for the rest of the day with all of the jockeys isolated in different areas.
“The set up was really good and luckily I’ve been getting quite a few rides each day.
“On the days I wasn’t riding I went for a walk or a run but for most of the time it was pretty boring.
“Emily has been doing a great job at home but she has told me there are plenty of jobs waiting for me when I get back.
“She’s been going really well and sends me videos of her and Max out on the farm. She hadn’t even driven the tractor before I left and now, she is a real pro.”
Under current New Zealand lockdown requirements Bosson will enter strict self-isolation for fourteen days when he returns before heading to the farm where he and his wife will sit down to discuss the future which could see the family head back to Australia for the spring.
“We have to have a good chat about things and a lot will depend upon what is happening in New Zealand,” he said.
“It is something (moving to Australia) that we have to look into but nothing has been set in stone and there are a lot of factors to consider.
“I will have to talk to David Ellis (Te Akau Racing) and people like that so there is a lot of things that would need to fall into place before anything was decided.
“A few people have approached me about giving me rides which is quite encouraging while there might be some media opportunities available for Emily.
“I’ve probably had the best season I have ever had so I have no complaints and riding Group One winners in Australia is something you dream about.”