| Opie Bosson ONZM | |
|---|---|
 Bosson in 2023 | |
| Full name | Owen Patrick Bosson |
| Occupation | Jockey |
| Born | 24 July 1980 New Zealand |
| Spouse | Emily Murphy |
| Significant horses | |
| |
Owen Patrick "Opie" Bosson ONZM (born 24 July 1980) is a jockey in Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand.
Bosson started as an apprentice for Stephen Autridge, his godfather. He began his race-day riding career as a 15 year old on 25 October 1995 with Comette at Dargaville and soon after had his first win on Fairlie Airlie at Gisborne. [1]
In the 1997 season he was the McBeath Apprentice of the Year at the BMW New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Awards and was eighth on the New Zealand Premiership, behind Lance O'Sullivan, with 75 wins from 703 starts. [2] The next apprentice was Mark Sweeney on 53 wins.
On 2 September 1998 Bosson rode the first Australian winner for Chris Waller, Party Belle, in a 2100m maiden race at Wyong.
His first Group 1 victory was Jezabeel in the 1998 Auckland Cup, aged 17.
In March 2019 Bosson surpassed the record of Lance O'Sullivan as the winner of the most New Zealand Group 1 races, with 63 when Melody Belle won the New Zealand Stakes at Ellerslie. [3]
As at the end of the 2021 season, Bosson had won:
In the 2023 King's Birthday and Coronation Honours, Bosson was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to Thoroughbred racing. [5] [6]
In December 2023 Bosson became the eighth jockey to record 2000 New Zealand wins when riding Move To Strike to win at Te Rapa. The other seven jockeys to reach that mark were Chris Johnson, David Walsh, Lance O'Sullivan, Noel Harris, Bill Skelton, Michael Coleman and David Peake. [7] [8]
In March 2024 Bosson told New Zealand Herald journalist Chris Rattue [9] that his:
Opie Bosson is the son of Owen and Glenda Bosson. Owen was a prominent amateur jockey. [2]
At the end of 2017, Bosson married TAB Trackside Television presenter Emily Murphy. [11]
The following are some of the major races Opie has won in New Zealand and Australia.
The racing of Thoroughbred horses is a popular gaming and spectator sport and industry in New Zealand.
The New Zealand Cup is a thoroughbred horse race run at the Riccarton Park Racecourse in Christchurch.
Jezabeel was a top New Zealand thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1998 Melbourne Cup.
The Karaka Million refers to two major New Zealand horse races for young horses - the original Karaka Million for two-year-old (2YO) horses and the Karaka Million 3YO Classic that started in 2018. Held at Ellerslie Racecourse, they are New Zealand's richest races, with a stake of NZ$1,000,000 each. The races are restricted to horses sold through the New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sales held at Karaka. The two $1,000,000 races are held on the eve of the National Yearling Sales Series at Karaka.
The Railway Stakes is a Group One New Zealand horse race. Held at Ellerslie on New Year's Day, it is held over 1200 metres, and is one of New Zealand's feature sprint races.
Ocean Park is a New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse. His biggest win came on 27 October 2012 in the Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley racecourse.
Gingernuts is a retired New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse. As a three-year-old, he won the 142nd running of the New Zealand Derby, followed up by a win in the Rosehill Guineas in Australia. At age four, he won the Windsor Park Plate and was second in the Livamol Classic, but then was injured while warming up for the Emirates Stakes. The injury required surgery that eventually prompted his retirement.
Melody Belle is a champion New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who is the only horse to win the New Zealand Triple Crown. She is also a two-time New Zealand Horse of the Year and holds the New Zealand record for the most Group 1 races won with 14, surpassing the previous New Zealand record of 13 set by the great mare Sunline and only one off the Australian record of 15 set by Black Caviar.
Warren Brian Kennedy is a South African horse racing jockey who was the 2019/20 and 2021/22 South African Champion Jockey.
Murray Baker is a New Zealand thoroughbred racehorse trainer and former representative cricketer.
Avantage is an Australian-bred, New Zealand-trained Thoroughbred racehorse who has won nine Group 1 races.
O'Reilly was a New Zealand bred and trained thoroughbred racehorse who won two Group 1 races.
Jamie Richards is a leading thoroughbred horse racing trainer in New Zealand and Hong Kong.
Chris Johnson, also known as "CWJ" or "The Magic Man", is a jockey in Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand. He is most notable for holding the national record for winning rides in New Zealand and for winning the New Zealand jockeys premiership twice.
Noel Harris, also known as "Harry" or "NGH", is a former jockey in Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand. He is notable for having ridden 2,167 raceday winners in New Zealand which is the fourth highest total behind Chris Johnson, David Walsh and Lance O'Sullivan and he has won the jockeys' premiership in both New Zealand and Singapore.
David Walsh is a former jockey in Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand. He is notable for having won the New Zealand jockey's premiership twice and riding over 2,500 winners in New Zealand and overseas.
The Ellerslie Sires Produce Stakes, currently known as the Sistema Stakes, is a Group One horse race for Thoroughbred two-year-olds held at Ellerslie Racecourse.
Roger James is a New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. He is notable for having trained six New Zealand Derby winners, which is more than any other trainer in New Zealand and for having won many Group One races in New Zealand and Australia.
David John O'Sullivan is a New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. He is notable for having trained Horlicks to win the 1989 Japan Cup and many Group One races in New Zealand and Australia as well as being inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame.
Imperatriz is an Australian-bred and New Zealand raced Thoroughbred racehorse, notable for winning nine Group 1 races in New Zealand and Australia. Imperatriz was bred by Raffles Dancers Pty Ltd.