Opie Bosson to make raceday return

[Wandering Eyes]

New Zealand Champion jockey Opie Bosson’s hunger for riding has returned, and he has announced he will make a comeback to the saddle in the new season.

The revered hoop announced his retirement last December, admitting he was a spent force, but his passion for the sport has been reignited following a six-month break and he is excited to return to the competitive amphitheatre of the track next month.

“It has been at the back of my mind for a little while now,” Bosson said. “I have still been riding track work, and there are a lot of nice horses coming through.

“I didn’t really lose a lot of fitness, and I have got the hunger back again that I lost. I decided about eight weeks ago that I wanted to come back, so I have been training hard.”

Weight was an ongoing battle for Bosson throughout his riding career, and he cited continual wasting as one of the driving factors behind his retirement decision last year, but he said he is finding it relatively easy returning to riding weight this time around.

“I really needed the break to get my head right and the body right, and everything seems to be going well,” he said.

“I have been working on bringing my weight down naturally without having to get in saunas and stuff like that. I haven’t missed a meal, and the weight is coming down perfectly.”

Bosson enjoyed his stint away from racing, spending more time on hobbies and socialising outside of racing circles, but he is excited to return to the races and reunite with some familiar faces.

“I have done a lot of fishing and met a lot of people outside of racing as well, I really enjoyed the summer,” he said. “But I have got the hunger back that I lost and I’ll start riding at the start of the new season.”

Bosson was aligned with leading New Zealand stable Te Akau Racing prior to his retirement, and he will renew that association in the new season, citing Te Akau principal David Ellis as a major player in his return.

“I have pretty much been living out at Te Akau Stud, training and working on the farm there. They have been so good to me,” Bosson said.

The fresh start will also come with a change in riding agent, with Bosson parting ways with longtime associate Aidan Rodley.

“Michael Coleman is going to do my rides for the new season,” he said.

Bosson tasted plenty of success on both sides of the Tasman, most notably aboard Te Akau’s Group One darling Imperatriz, and while Te Akau’s Cranbourne base is now firing on all cylinders, he said he would like to concentrate on his homeland before setting his sights further afield.

“I haven’t really thought about it (Melbourne) at this stage,” he said. “I just want to get back going in New Zealand first.”

A major milestone is looming for the 44-year-old, who currently sits on 2146 career wins, with Bosson just one win shy of 100 Group One victories, and he is looking forward to chasing down the elusive target.

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