Hall Of Fame jockey Glen Boss has an excellent chance to chalk up his third win in the Group 1 $600,000 Channel 7 Queensland Derby (2200m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Jockey Glen Boss will be looking to collect his third Queensland Derby winner on Master Of Arts at Doomben. Photo on Race Horse Photos Australia.
Boss will ride the second favourite Master Of Arts and takes over from the injured Brad Rawllier who has been on the Darren Weir trained colt four of his five race starts.
But the top Victorian jockey hit a hurdle at the Ballarat meeting last Sunday when he not only received a twelve meeting suspension for careless riding, he also injured his knee putting him out of action for a couple of weeks.
“I have basically got a small tear in the medial ligament,” Rawiller told AAP.
“It would not be fair to anyone if I went into a Group 1 under a fitness cloud and, besides, I would have to win an appeal to be able to take the ride anyway.”
Rawiller was aboard Master Of Arts when he produced one of the runs of the race when he came from well back in the field to run third to Upham in the Group 3 $150,000 Mullins Lawyers Grand Prix Stakes (2020m) at Doomben on May 23.
“He was very unlucky not to win and the upside is that it was a perfect lead-up to the Derby. He will be a super chance,” Rawiller said.
Boss won his first Queensland Derby on the John Morrisey trained Camarena in 1999 and was in the winner’s circle again for Morrisey on Lachlan River in 2005.
The triple Melbourne Cup winning jockey has ridden three Group 1 winners for the current racing season with wins on Foreteller in the $400,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield during the Srping and on Kermadec in the Group 1 $3m The Star 150th Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick in the Autumn, both for Chris Waller.
Boss also teamed up with Darren Weir to take out the $400,000 Brown Baldwin William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley in March on Lucky Hussler.
Last Saturday’s Eagle Farm Cup winner Werther heads the Queensland Derby market order at Ladbrokes.com.au at $3.80 with Master Of Arts the second pick at $ $4.80.
The Chris Waller trainer Sadler’s Lake is next in the betting at $9 alongside of Peter Moody’s Upham who continued his good Queensland Winter Carnival form with his win in the Grand Prix Stakes.
Kiwi three year old Werther cemented his place at the top of the betting after beating the older horses under weight for age conditions in the Group 2 $250,000 Pages Event Equipment Hire Eagle Farm Cup (2200m) at Doomben last Saturday.
That win followed his second to the super Western Australian filly Delicacy in the Group 1 $500,000 William Hill South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville on May 9.
