Opie Bosson gets Rapid Triumph home
Hong Kong Jockey Club
Benno Yung trained a double at Happy Valley and he hit the board first with Rapid Triumph in the Class 4 Dandelion Handicap (1650m), which provided a welcome first win of the season for the oft-overlooked Opie Bosson.
The two-time New Zealand champion has found rides hard to come by this season, despite performing consistently well in defeat. Rapid Triumph, a 16/1 shot, was only Bosson's 51st mount of the current campaign.
"I needed it," he said. "When you've had so many outs, it helps. It's been frustrating and I've found it really tough. I'm just glad I've got a win. "The horse was just a bit slowly away when he ran fourth for me last time and got a fair way back, he hit the line quite strongly that day though so the important thing today was to bounce him out of that good draw (5) and get him a little bit closer. He travelled beautifully throughout. "He came up underneath me from about the six or seven hundred-metre point, so I knew I had a bit of horse there, and I saw the horse in front laying off the fence so I've thought I'll just wait for the inside run and he cruised up to the leader."
Rapid Triumph drew ahead to a three quarter-length success over the Tony Millard-trained Giant Turtle, with the 3.9 favourite Super Sprinter a further neck back in third.
Yung had plenty of praise for Bosson: "He's a good jockey and I'm happy to use him, he just hasn't had enough support. The horse jumped well and Opie got him in a good position – everything was spot on. "Last time the horse was a bit unlucky, he was squeezed out at the jump so was a bit far back, so that was a good run last start. This time everything went as hoped." -HKJC
The two-time New Zealand champion has found rides hard to come by this season, despite performing consistently well in defeat. Rapid Triumph, a 16/1 shot, was only Bosson's 51st mount of the current campaign.
"I needed it," he said. "When you've had so many outs, it helps. It's been frustrating and I've found it really tough. I'm just glad I've got a win. "The horse was just a bit slowly away when he ran fourth for me last time and got a fair way back, he hit the line quite strongly that day though so the important thing today was to bounce him out of that good draw (5) and get him a little bit closer. He travelled beautifully throughout. "He came up underneath me from about the six or seven hundred-metre point, so I knew I had a bit of horse there, and I saw the horse in front laying off the fence so I've thought I'll just wait for the inside run and he cruised up to the leader."
Rapid Triumph drew ahead to a three quarter-length success over the Tony Millard-trained Giant Turtle, with the 3.9 favourite Super Sprinter a further neck back in third.
Yung had plenty of praise for Bosson: "He's a good jockey and I'm happy to use him, he just hasn't had enough support. The horse jumped well and Opie got him in a good position – everything was spot on. "Last time the horse was a bit unlucky, he was squeezed out at the jump so was a bit far back, so that was a good run last start. This time everything went as hoped." -HKJC