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Ace jockey back on track; Wheeler changing focus; Juggernaut Rock ready to roll; Line Seeker strikes again.
Ace jockey back on track
Opie Bosson is out to make up for lost ground at Ellerslie on New Year's Day.The crack jockey was stood down at Ellerslie on Boxing Day through ill health after riding Dal Cielo to win the two-year-old race.
While that meant Bosson missed several top rides, none were successful. He was already set to miss the racedays between the two Ellerslie premier meetings through suspension."I'm back healthy and feeling really positive for my rides for Thursday," Bosson said.
Bosson rides Durham Town in Gr.1 Railway Stakes, last-start Waikato Cup winner Surpass in the Gr.3 City Of Auckland Cup, Diademe in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile, Charmont in the Gr.2 Royal Stakes, Highland Park in the Gr.2 Great Northern Guineas and Colonel Carrera in the Dunstan Feeds Championship Final, as well as Gustavo, Imperial Hawk and Dennis Denuto in the support races.Wheeler changing focus
New Zealand Hall of Famer John Wheeler is changing direction.The top Taranaki trainer who prepared Rough Habit to win 11 Group One races, said he had stopped buying yearlings, preferring to focus on horses he had bred.
"I'm kind of winding down the operation a bit so I have more time to do other things."If you keep going the way I am, you'd end up with your life being dominated by racing until the day you die and I don't really want that.”
Jumps racing remained a passion and Wheeler is keen to team up with fellow trainer Graeme Rogerson to campaign a team in Europe."It's just a matter of finding the right horses,” he said. “Rogie has been at me for years to join up with him and take a few over so we’ll see.”
Juggernaut Rock ready to roll
Jason Price is expecting a bold showing from a rejuvenated Juggernaut Rock in Tuesday’s Harcourts Taupo Cup.
“He’s freshened up nicely and he’s been working really well,” the Matamata trainer said.Juggernaut Rock hasn’t raced since he was out of the money in the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup after a promising lead-up effort when fifth in the Listed Metropolitan Trophy.
“On the first day he hit the line hard, but he’s not a two miler,” Price said. “Matt (Cameron) said at the half mile he came off the bridle and 3200 metres is a little bit too far for him.“I’ve got nothing specific planned, I just want to try and get a win or two into the horse to build his confidence.”
Line Seeker strikes again
Buyers will be rueing a missed opportunity following Line Seeker’s latest victory at Sha Tin.
Unwanted as a yearling when he failed to meet his $50,000 reserve at Karaka in 2013, the son of O’Reilly has now won two of his three starts in Hong Kong for trainer Paul O’Sullivan.Line Seeker’s latest success on Sunday night came over 1400 metres in the skilled hands of Zac Purton and provided O’Sullivan with the opening leg of a New Zealand-bred double.
He later produced the High Chaparral gelding Racing Hero to win for the seventh time in his career.