Sprint top guns: Bosson, Imperatriz ‘straight six’ shooters
Superstar New Zealand racehorse Imperatriz isn’t the only one trying something new as she tackles the famous Flemington “straight six” in the A$3 million Champion’s Sprint today.
For all his amazing deeds in the saddle, Hall Of Fame jockey Opie Bosson has never won a straight race in his stellar career.
The pair combine in Imperatriz’s biggest test in the 1200m race, which are known in racing circles as a “straight six” because it is in a directly straight line and over six furlongs, an old term used for an eighth of a mile, which equates to 201.1m.
So 1200m down the Flemington straight is roughly six furlongs but while that distance will be ideal for Imperatriz, the straight line experience will be new to her and somewhat of a novelty for Bosson.
New Zealand has no straight races, the closest thing the dog-leg sprints at Trentham and Riccarton, so Bosson has little experience in them either.
“I have never won a straight race, the closest I got was second in a sprint in Hong Kong once,” he told the Weekend Herald.
“The key thing is finding the right horse to follow and I think [today], if it is anything like last Saturday, getting cover from the wind.
“Last Saturday, the wind was hitting the horses on the inside because it was coming from that direction, so being wider and with cover helped.
“For that reason and the fact the track has had plenty of racing, her draw [8 of 11] should mean she’s in the right part of the track.”
Imperatriz has been stunning three times this spring, rising to a new level that suggests she could be the best sprinter in Australia.
Although today’s field has more depth than her last two outings, she looks a horse in the zone and ready to do something brilliant again.
Her newest and toughest rival should be In Secret, who had won both her “straight six” races here and was a huge fourth in The Everest last start.
She gets James McDonald on board, and if Imperatriz can deal to her, it will go a long way to legitimising her claims to being the best sprinter in this part of the world.
Bosson also rides Ladies Man (R4, No 1) and Mustang Valley (R5, No 1) today, and while Ladies Man carries a huge weight in his Melbourne Cup consolation start, Mustang Valley has a wide draw and would be suited by some rain, which isn’t forecast.
The latter clashes with fellow Cambridge mare Pearl of Alsace, who looks well suited to today’s conditions, while later in the star-studded meeting, another Cambridge heroine in Prowess tackles the weight-for-age horses at Group 1 level in the Champions Stakes.
Prowess was good winning over 1600m at The Valley last start but should appreciate the roomier Flemington and the step up to 2000m today in a Champions Stakes missing some of the biggest names who have instead elected to go to today’s Mile.
She still has to beat West Wind Blows, the United Kingdom galloper who pushed subsequent Melbourne Cup winner Without A Fight so close in the Caulfield Cup.
But at $6, Prowess represents good each way value with Melbourne Cupwinning jockey Mark Zahra in the saddle.