Caulfield Cup winning jockey Opie Bosson has been booked to ride Magic Hurricane in the Group 1 $1m Longines Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Kiwi jockey Opie Bosson will ride Magic Hurricane, above, in the Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington. Photo by Steve Hart.
Trainer John O’Shea will saddle up two Godolphin owned gallopers in the $1m weight for age race on Derby Day with the stables’ number one rider James McDonald to partner Contributer.
Sydney jockey Sam Clipperton has been doing a lot of riding the O’Shea recently and would have normally been given the ticket to partner Magic Hurricane, but the top Sydney trainer went for Bosson instead.
Clipperton has been wasting all week to ride Thousand Guineas winner Stay With Me at 49kg in the Group 1 $500,000 Myer Classic (1600m) and O’Shea said that he didn’t want to overtax the young jockey with too many rides on the mammoth Flemington card.
“I didn’t want Sammy overtaxing himself,” O’Shea told AAP.
“It’s a shame for him but he’s got his whole career ahead of him.
“We made the decision to give him an easy day.”
Bosson has been a house hold name back in New Zealand since his outstanding apprentice days but has really stamped his ability during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival with his win on the Murray Baker trained Mongolian Khan in the Group 1 $3m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 17.
Bosson was also successful on stablemate Turn Me Loose in the Listed $150,000 Darley Seymour Cup (1600m) at Seymour on October 18 and in the Group 2 $200,000 Schweppes Crystal Mile (1600m) at Moonee Valley on October 24.
The top Kiwi jockey also saluted on the Danny O’Brien trained Miss Rose De Lago in the Group 3 $150,000 Nine West Ladies Day Vase (1600m) at Caulfield on October 14.
Magic Hurricane failed to gain a start in the Caulfield Cup even though he won the Group 1 $750,000 McGrath Estate Agents Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on October 3 and O’Shea said that the six year old has freshened up nicely since his last run almost four weeks ago.
If you fancy either Magic Hurricane or Contributer in the Mackinnon Stakes, take advantage of Ladbrokes Derby Day Special of Best Tote or SP + 20% on every race at Flemington this Derby Day, which means an additional 20% on your winnings across the whole day up to a maximum bet of $50.
O’Shea sent both Magic Hurricane and Contributer to Flemington on Tuesday morning to work separately on the course proper and the he was happy with the way they went through their paces in preparation for the Mackinnon Stakes.
“They looked to just stretch their legs nicely. It’s a good surface and they just looked happy,” O’Shea said.
Contributer has failed to regain his outstanding Sydney Autumn Carnival earlier in the year that saw him collect a hat trick of wins in the Group 2 $250,000 Optus Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, the Group 1 $500,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm and the Group 1 $500,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill.
The English import has been unplaced from three Spring Carnival outings with his latest effort being a fifth to Criterion in the Group 1 $400,000 Ladbrokes Caulfield Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on October 10.
