Bosson believes Probabeel is the best baby he has ridden
A week after breaking the record for the most group 1 wins in New Zealand, Opie Bosson crosses the Tasman with the Shaky Isles’ best two-year-old Probabeel ready to match it with Australia's best.
It is unusual for a Kiwi to be part of the Golden Slipper picture, but in an even year the Karaka Millions winner could race her way into the world’s biggest race for two-year-olds via Saturday’s Magic Night Stakes.
“She is looking more at the Sires, but we want to find out where she stands,” Bosson said. “I think she is going to be better at 1400 metres, but she is fresh and ready to go.
“She hasn’t draw well [in gate 14], so we are going to need some luck.
“The way she won the Karaka Millions was very impressive and she is one of the better two-year-olds I have ridden.”
The Savabeel filly has won three of her four starts culminating in the Karaka Millions where she was a convincing 2-3/4-length winner. However, she is still down the Golden Slipper order of entry because of the lower prizemoney in New Zealand and needs to win to get a place in the field.
Probabeel has respect in the betting being the $5.50 second pick in the Magic Night market behind Godolphin’s Athiri, which is on trial to join the boys in blue's massive Slipper team, at $4.40. Godolphin will pay a late entry for Athiri if she wins the Magic Night.
Bosson will be a regular visitor to Sydney over the next month with his Derby ride Vernanme and Danzdanzdance a group 1 contender on Slipper day, and is looking for other rides.
Bosson is coming off a group 1 double last weekend, which took him past Lance O’Sullivan with 63 group 1 wins in his homeland. He also has five in Australia.
“It is not that far to come and for the right rides, I will come over when people want me,” Bosson said. "I have won five or six group 1s over there and it is about coming with the right rides.
“At the moment I’m there on Saturday and next week and back for the Derby.
“It was good that I picked up a couple of other rides on Saturday.”
Bosson rides Savvy Coup in the Coolmore Classic and will reunite with one of his group 1 winners from New Zealand, Age Of Fire, which is owned in the same interests as Probabeel.
“I won the Levin Classic on him last year before he went over there,” Bosson said. “He had been struggling a bit for form but he got a soft track last time and ran a big race.
“He is a group horse and I think at 2000m he will run a good race.”
The biggest benefit for Age Of Fire is predicted wet weather with all three of his wins coming on soft ground.