Bosson, married to TV racing presenter Emily Murphy, is among the key Kiwi racing identities who resisted any temptation to move to Australia.
Bosson chats about his favourite horse, toughest opponent, his struggles to make weight, his childhood hero, Australian adventures, his Hong Kong hurdle and why he thinks racing has found its feet again in New Zealand.
Getting to 2000 winners wasn’t a goal to start with. But when someone said I was getting close to it, it felt like quite an achievement. There are big-hitters on that list, and to join them is pretty rewarding. I only need three more to have 100 Group 1 winners... I’m well clear of any other New Zealand-based rider. Jim Cassidy has 104, so it would be nice to get that.
Profiles say your father was an amateur jockey.
I think he was an amateur rider but I don’t know if he had any winners... I’ve never actually asked him and haven’t even seen a photo of him riding.
Dad had a permit-to-train licence with a handful of horses - we had a small block in Rotorua. I started riding trackwork when I was 12.
Luckily, my godfather was (jockey/trainer) Stephen Autridge - he was there at my birth and my christening. I started my apprenticeship with him.
Did you have a childhood hero?
Lance O’Sullivan was the jockey I looked up to, and when he was injured, I was fortunate to become the stable rider for his father Dave.
Lance was a very tough competitor - he taught me so much about the ins and outs of racing, the small things of race riding. Things like getting your horse focused before going into the barriers, getting into other jockeys’ heads... you are trying to work out what they are planning.
Favourite opponent?
James McDonald - he’s a superstar. There have been many others - Noel Harris was great to watch. His timing and balance were amazing.
Leith Innes, my best mate, was very competitive to ride against. We’ve been friends since I was about 15. He retired recently - he won the Queensland Derby, came in and said, “I’m finished.” I was a bit surprised, but I guess he wanted to go out on a high.
James McDonald salutes Orchestral's outstanding triumph in the $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m). Photo / Race Images
Any retirement thoughts yourself?
I’ve got a few more years left, barring injuries. I’d like to get 100 Group 1 winners and ride for a few more seasons.
There have been plenty, and there’s the odd one you have to keep riding. These days, if I don’t like a horse, I try not to show too much interest in it and find another one. It comes down to their attitude and behaviour. In saying that, some horses get a bit wound up and can still prove themselves on the track.
Your most memorable race was…
Winning the [2015] Caulfield Cup on Mongolian Khan... we jumped and got the perfect run in the race, and he was too good in the end. Everything went to plan. He was the favourite for the Melbourne Cup but had to be withdrawn.
Plus all the Group 1 races Imperatriz has won. They are all top-class sprint races and worth a lot of money. There’s a lot of pressure going into those races, but she steps up.
What is your Melbourne Cup record?
I’ve only ridden two, as an apprentice back in the 90s.
It’s hard to get a ride at the weights, which are quite low, and a lot of our New Zealand horses find it hard to qualify for the Melbourne Cup. You need to get on an overseas horse.
Mine were both New Zealand-trained horses - they weren’t really good chances, but it was still a thrill to ride in the race.
Favourite track?
I love Ellerslie, the premier track in New Zealand. Unfortunately, I haven’t ridden a winner on the new surface from 10 or 12 rides so far. The new surface is really nice, although we had a few problems when the rain came - it got a bit slippery. All it needs is a bit more racing on it and it will be fine.
It’s a great track, and on the big days when the crowds are there, there is nothing better. Karaka Millions night is one of the best meetings I’ve been to.
Broken collarbones, shoulders and stuff like that - touch wood, nothing too major. My biggest hiccup has been the scales.
Yes... I’m told the battle to make weight even led you to make a snap retirement decision at Trentham a few years ago.
I was lucky because I didn’t get too heavy until I was older - I’m not huge, but the lifestyle I was living when I was younger was a problem... going out drinking, partying too much. I had to change a lot of things and concentrate on being a jockey.
But it’s been a huge issue for me. A lot of the bigger boys have to lose weight every single race day, like I do. You have to watch what you eat and do a lot of sweating in the bath. Coming up to a meeting, you really limit the food - try to cut out a fair bit of bread. Sometimes I just look at food and put on weight.
Yeah, there was a time at Trentham when I said I’d had enough. I was probably doing things the wrong way at the time.
But when you are starving and sweating, it does take a fair bit out of you. You just feel exhausted. And wintertime gets harder because you don’t sweat as much and it is harder to get motivated on those wet tracks. Then you get another winner, and you get that motivation back.
Jockey Opie Bosson and Imperatriz at Flemington. Photo / Getty Images
What is the big difference racing in Australia?
In the big races, every jockey is very good and it is very tactical. You can’t let your guard down. You’ve got to do your form guide and speed maps...
Speed maps?
Speed maps predict where every horse will be, although it doesn’t always pan out like that. You’ve got to know the best horses to be following, which horse is likely to be where. In New Zealand, I know most of the horses, but there are more you don’t know in Australia.
Of course, everything changes when those gates open, so it’s good to have Plan Bs.
For instance, Imperatriz won recently in a race where a horse called Private Eye was the hardest to beat. Private Eye ended up leading, and he’s hardly ever led in his life. That was a bit of a surprise - there was a lack of speed in the race and he seemed to land there. I just sat back off him and didn’t let him out of my sight.
It’s different there. The best jockeys in the world ride in Hong Kong, but it’s not just about the racing. You’ve got to liaise with the owners to get the rides and that probably didn’t suit me because I’m a bit shy and quiet.
It’s cut-throat. You pretty much need to beg the owners for a ride if you want a certain horse - I’m not used to that kind of stuff. It was an eye-opener how competitive it was among the jockeys. I’m glad I went but I prefer to let my riding to the talking.
Back to James McDonald - did the world’s top jockey always show that potential?
He’s a freak - his ability to position a horse in a race, he’s unflappable, and very rarely do you see him make a mistake. He’s gifted but does a lot of preparation as well.
He’s had a great season and won so many big races around the world. I’d love to be in his shoes.
We are really good mates - we talk three or four times a week. James is very humble... we got on right from day one.
He had it straight away and has got better and better. He is very dedicated and has proven he is the best jockey in the world.
Should James McDonald be more famous in his homeland?
I thought he should have got a Halberg Award.
He has taken on the world from Sydney. Did you ever consider moving overseas?
Maybe I should have moved to Australia 10 years ago, but at the moment I love riding for Te Akau Racing and the hit-and-run missions to Australia are working well. I don’t want to leave the farm life here - New Zealand is home for me.
We bought a farm in Pukekawa, just south of Pukekohe, about five years ago. We moved in the day before my son was born. We’ve got dairy grazers and beef - I love living in the country, away from everything where it’s nice and quiet.
Pukekawa. That town means one thing to older people - the scene of the unsolved Crewe murders.
Yes, that does come up when I mention that I live there, but the locals don’t talk about it. It’s a really nice community here.
Racing has gone through tough times in this country...
Two or three years back, it wasn’t looking promising, but since Entain has come on board with the TAB, the prizemoney has gone up and things are looking very positive. We’ve always had good horses in New Zealand. It’s just a pity that a lot of them had to be sold because the prizemoney wasn’t very good. People had to sell to Australia and Hong Kong to make a living.
The Te Akau boss Dave Ellis has had a big influence on you - he describes you as a “truly gifted rider with beautiful balance and the best instinct you will see”.
He’s been a big fan of mine since I was 14. Balance is huge and I like to be very tactical, giving my horses the softest run they can get so they have got more at the finish. I think I’ve got good instincts as well. People ask why I did something in a race and I can’t tell them. I just did it. You’ve got to be a quick thinker.
Good luck on your quest to reach a century of Group 1 winners.
It would be nice to get that out of the way quickly. I’d love to do it on Imperatriz. It would be nice to do it on my favourite horse.
