Bosson and Baker set for success

IF OPIE BOSSON has a good run at Ellerslie today, so will Murray Baker.

Bosson, the leading jockey in terms of stakes and black-type wins this term, will ride up to six horses for Baker and his training partner Andrew Forsman.

Bosson has been declared for six of Baker’s team but promising two-year-old Del Cielo might be reserved for second day of the meeting, on Sunday, after drawing wide today.

Baker and Forsman have made a spectacular start to the season and have an 11-win advantage in the trainers’ premiership.

Bosson has played a significant role in their success and has ridden almost a third of the stable’s winners over the last two and a half years.

He will partner Sports Illustrated for Baker in the Zabeel Classic today and stablemate Charmont in the Eight Carat Classic.

Sports Illustrated bridged the gap between rating 75 and Group II company last start and Bosson expects the mare to measure up again at Group I level.

“She’s classy and getting better and better,” he said.

“I think she will cope with 2000m, though I would have preferred a better barrier. I just hope she gets a bit of luck. She did it really easily [in the Isuzu Stakes] at Te Rapa and ran a fast time.”

Sports Illustrated, Pondarosa Miss and Abidewithme were the best-backed runners in early betting on the Zabeel, while Scintillula shortened from $21 to $18 on Wednesday.

Scintillula will be James McDonald’s sole mount today but he will have a big book at Ellerslie on January 1, including Mosse in the Railway Stakes and Atacama in the Rich Hill Mile.