Boss on Shopaholic in the Armanasco

Jockey Glenn Boss has picked up the plum ride on last start Flemington winner Shopaholic in the Group 2 $180,000 D’Urban Angus Armanasco Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Boss will replace Dwayne Dunn who steered Shopaholic to an upset nose win over glamour filly Dwayne Dunn in the Group 3 $150,000 The Vanity (1410m) .

Dunn has opted to stick with the Matthew Ellerton and Simon Zahra trained filly Twilighting in the Armanasco after partnering her when a close second to Shopaholic when the pair meet in the $70,000 Derrinstown Stud (Ireland) Plate for three year old fillies at Caulfield on February 4.

Shopaholic showed she was up with  the best fillies in the land with a determined win over the Crown Oaks winner Mosheen at Flemington last Saturday and trainer Danny O’Brien was very satisfied with the filly’s win.

“Mosheen was obviously the testing material in the Spring along with Atlantic Jewel but my filly is catching up to them now and she did a very good job,” O’Brien said after the Flemington win.

“I knew the filly was in great order. She had a nice win first start and has come on super. She got a good ride from Dwayne, peeled into the right lane, she was tough and applied to the finish.”

O’Brien will have no worries with his replacement rider as Boss has hit form quickly after a long lay off because of injury.

The international jockey rode a superb race to score on Speediness in the TAB Sportsbet (1410m) at Flemington on Saturday as well as a fine second on Decircles behind That’s The One in the Group 3 $150,000 C S Hayes (1410m).

Boss has also picked up the ride on Members Joy in the Group 1 $1m Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday for trainer Robert Smerdon.

The Hussonet filly has one win to her credit scoring over 900m at Sandown last November before having a short ease up.

Member’s Joy resumed with a game second to one time Blue Diamond favourite Malasun in the $100,000 Listed Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) at Caulfield on Australia Day then was a well beaten fourth to Samaready in the Group 3 $125,000 Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) at Caulfield on February 11.

The Smerdon trained filly has slipped down the Blue Diamond betting and is currently $31 behind the Mick Price trained Samaready who heads the market at $2.10.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.