OP Commits to Livamol Classic Day

The Informant reports:

Opie Bosson, regarded as New Zealand's best big race jockey, is back on the Group One path.

In the latest chapter of a career plagued by weight issues, Bosson has been on the sideline since April and has had to delay his original return date in August while getting his weight back to a competitive level.

Despite an abbreviated 2017-18 season, he rode 49 winners - 10 of them in black-type races - from just 221 rides for a strike-rate of 4.51, easily the best on the jockeys' leaderboard.

The good news is that a combination of trackwork and trials riding, fitness workouts with Te Akau principal David Ellis and daily farm work at Te Akau Stud have Bosson back on target to resume at next weekend's Livamol Classic day at Hastings.

“It's well known that Opie has struggles with his weight, so given the difficulties he was encountering lately we sat down and set a programme,” Ellis told The Informant. “He's riding regular trackwork at Matamata as well as trials, and coming over each day to Te Akau where he and I work out together with a private fitness trainer.

“It's doing both of us good and it's great to see the change in Opie. He's finally getting his weight back to what it needs to be and I'm thrilled to be able to confirm that he will be riding Our Abbadean and Sword Of Osman for us in the Livamol Classic and Hawke's Bay Guineas.”

Our Abbadean's season began with a bold third in the Gr. 1 Tarzino Trophy on the first day of the Hawke's Bay carnival, followed by a late-closing fifth in last Saturday's Gr. 1 Windsor Park Plate. She is on the fourth line of betting at $10 on the TAB's fixed odds market for the Livamol behind Savvy Coup at $2.80, Scott Base at $6, and Wyndspelle and Danzdanzdance at $8.

Sword Of Osman was disappointing when resuming in the Listed Northland Breeders' Stakes, but according to trainer Jamie Richards he has come through the race with no obvious issues and will take his place on the Hawke's Bay Guineas.