Te Akau Racing have confirmed that leading jockey Opie Bosson will remain as their number one retained rider for the upcoming 2020/21 racing season.
Te Akau Principal David Ellis made the announcement via Twitter and on the Te Akau Racing website.
“Opie and Te Akau go back a very long way – he started working with us when he was 14,” Ellis said.
“He is a truly gifted rider, with beautiful balance and the best instinct you will see.
“His record again this season in the “Te Akau tangerine” has been phenomenal, riding nine of our 11 Group One winners including Te Akau Shark, Melody Belle, Avantage, Probabeel and Cool Aza Beel with these elite wins coming in both New Zealand and Australia.
“Our trainer Jamie Richards leads the NZ Trainers’ Premiership (99 wins) and the combination of Jamie with Opie has proven formidable. They work so well together and the results they achieve speak for themselves.”
Te Akau trainer Jamie Richards added:
“Opie is such an asset to the team – obviously on race day as he is in a class of his own. His feedback from track work and trials is invaluable, he just has such a unique feel of where each horse is at.”
Bosson also reiterated his commitment to the stable in the statement.
“I definitely strongly considered re-locating to Australia for the new season,” he said.
“However I have been to Te Akau Stud and the Matamata stable and after seeing the quality of yearlings David (Ellis) has bought, and also seeing how the older horses had spelled – I wanted to be part of the future success I know is coming.
“The talent the stable has just blew me away.
“I also really enjoy working with Jamie – he’s a freak of a trainer who understands a horse better than anyone I know.”
