Big race jockey Glen Boss has started the Spring in explosive style and has plenty of incentive to keep the winners ticking over heading into this weekend’s double header at Moonee Valley and Caulfield.
Jockey Glen Boss missed last year's Spring Carnival and is looking to keep the winners ticking over this year. Photo by: Taron Clarke
Boss had to miss last year’s Spring Carnival because of a shoulder injury that put him on the sidelines for several months, but the Moir Stakes meeting at Moonee Valley on Friday night and the Sir Rupert Clark Stakes meeting at Caulfield on Sunday gives the Melbourne Cup winning jockey a chance to keep his winning momentum rolling along.
“This Spring means a lot more to me because I missed last year, missed some real crucial races so this is a really important one,” Boss said.
“I love the whole thing and the Carnival just gets better every year.”
The last two Melbourne Saturday meetings has seen Boss ride a winning treble at both days including the first Group 1 of the Spring when he steered Ocean Park home to take out the Group 1 $400,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield last week.
Boss has a good book of rides on both days including Thankgodyou’rehere in the Group 2 $300,000 Spotless Moir Stakes (1200m) and Shanghai Warrior in the Group 1 $400,000 Clamms Seafood Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m).
Boss has a high opinion of Thankgodyou’rehere and considers the seven year old not far off Group 1 standard after getting a good feel of the gelding in a Cranbourne trial on September 10.
“He seems to be on top of everything at the moment, pain free and clean in his action and has trialled well going into it,” Boss said.
“He’s a horse that has always had stacks of ability, everyone knows that, and he’s a borderline Group 1 type of horse.”
With the absence of super mare Black Caviar and bulking sprinter Hay List this Spring, Boss is looking forward to a tough contest in the Moir with Group 1 bridesmaid Buffering making his Spring debut as well as Sydney speedsters Tiger Tees and Atomic Force just a few topliners making up the small field of eight.
“Everyone with a half decent sprinter is going hell for leather because the mare isn’t there and Hay List isn’t there,” Boss said.
“It’s great, it’s not that we don’t want to see the mare there, because it’s open up the door for a lot of players and he’s just one of them. As long as he is healthy and sound he’s going to be competitive in any race he’s in this Spring.”
Boss is willing to forget Shanghai Warrior ‘s last run at Flemington when he finished near the tail of the field in the Group 3 $150,000 Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m) on September 8 with post-race reports revealing the four year old had mucous in his throat explaining the poor performance.
The Pat Hyland trained gelding was at his best the start before down the Flemington straight beating favourite Golden Archer in the Group 3 $150,000 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) on August 11 and Boss thinks he can bounce back.
“Unfortunately he just put one bad run in but there were genuine excuses,” Boss said.
“He pulled up with a lot of mucous in his throat, he’s had treatment and he trialled well. Hopefully they have got him back.”
Boss is really excited about the Greg Eurell trained filly Love For Ransom for the rest of the Spring and is anxiously awaiting Sunday to get back aboard her in the $80,000 TMB Printing Handicap (1400m) after a last to first win at Moonee Valley on September 15.
“It was mind-boggling what she did and her sectionals were out of control. The second horse wasn’t stopping and I just picked her up and went straight past it,” Boss said.
If Love For Ransom repeats that effort on Sunday she will no doubt shorten further at the top of the markets for the Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 17.
