Bosson back for Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes

[Chief Stipe]

After a winning weekend at Rosehill, Opie Bosson returns to the New Zealand feature racing scene for next Saturday’s Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes meeting at Awapuni.

Bosson was in good touch on Saturday, getting Avantage home in the Gr. 3 Birthday Card Stakes and finishing third on Danzdanzdance in the Gr. 1 Ranvet Stakes. He will continue his association with that pair at the Sydney autumn carnival, but beforehand has a date with Yourdeel in the hope of completing the domestic Group One two-year-old double.

Bosson won the Gr. 1 Sistema Stakes at Ellerslie on Yourdeel, who trainer Jamie Richards reports has thrived in the fortnight since.

“I’m very happy with how Yourdeel has come on since Ellerslie,” Richards said. “Equinox has gone on the right way since winning at Trentham last week and provided the ground is satisfactory he’ll be there too.”

Richards will throw the dice with maiden three-year-old Golden Age and enter him for Saturday’s Gr. 3 Higgins Manawatu Classic. The lightly raced Savabeel gelding has been placed in his last four starts, the most recent when badly hampered over 1600 metres.

“He’s a horse that hasn’t had much luck, narrowly beaten twice and then very unlucky at Te Aroha last week,” Richards said. “We believe he deserves his chance and the 2000 metres should be right up his alley.”

In Bosson’s absence from the Sydney carnival, James McDonald will take the ride on New Zealand Derby runner-up In A Twinkling in Saturday’s Tulloch Stakes, with a view to backing up in the following weekend’s Australian Derby.

“That was a very satisfying result with Avantage and she seems to have come through the race well, so she can go to the Gr. 2 Arrowfield Stakes,” Richards added. “In A Twinkling has settled in well and Probabeel has come through her first-up run pleasingly.

“We’re looking forward to getting her out on the wide open spaces of Randwick (for the Sires’ Produce Stakes) and hopefully on improved ground.”

 

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