Racing: Top jockey has weighty incentive to watch kilos

Top jockey Opie Bosson. Photo / Race Images

Opie Bosson has taken on a weighty summer mission and he's confident of executing it.

The top jockey has a constant battle with the scales, but the lure of winning New Zealand's richest two-year-old race at Ellerslie on Saturday week will have him leaner than ever.

"We've got five horses qualified for the Karaka Million and Opie has chosen Avantage," Te Akau principal David Ellis said.

"I said to him do you think you can do 54.5kg and he said I'll do it easily."

On Sunday, Bosson was successful aboard the Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards-trained Avantage when the Fastnet Rock filly stretched her unbeaten run to three after earlier victories at Riccarton.

"We've also got Hugh Bowman coming over to ride Al Hasa, Michael McNab will ride Sword Of Osman and Cameron Lammas is on Pinot Grey.

"We've still got to finalise a rider for The Real Beel."

Al Hasa has won the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) from three appearances while Sword Of Osman was an impressive debutant at Awapuni where he comfortably beat Platinum Mam'selle, who was successful at Trentham on Saturday.

Pinot Grey finished third behind Avantage at Ellerslie while The Real Beel led all the way to score at the first time of asking at New Plymouth last month.

Meanwhile, the stable's pre-post Karaka Million 3Y0 Classic (1600m) favourite Embellish is thriving.

"He went and worked on the course proper at Ellerslie this morning and Opie rode him and he was thrilled," Ellis said.

Embellish's autumn programme includes the A$1 million ($1.1m) Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington.

"He's a very classy colt and after the Karaka Million he'll race in Melbourne and then we'll take him to Sydney. It's exciting times for us."

- NZ Racing Desk