Magic Millions mission: Why Glen Boss cannot risk flying back to Sydney because of COVID dramas

Star jockey Glen Boss won’t go back to Sydney as he doesn’t want to risk being stuck there ahead of the rich Gold Coast Magic Millions carnival in January.

Glen Boss is going to spend Christmas Day in Melbourne. Picture: Getty Images

Glen Boss will jet to Melbourne to spend Christmas with his family as he is not prepared to risk getting marooned in Sydney with the escalating COVID crisis there ahead of next month’s rich Gold Coast Magic Millions carnival.

Boss has been flying in and out from Sydney to Brisbane to ride on Saturdays during the summer carnival and revealed he had a negative COVID test in NSW before heading to the Sunshine State to ride on Gold Edition Plate Day at Doomben on Saturday.

Boss’s movements are now clouded by the Queensland’s Premier’s decision to further tighten borders and enforce hotel quarantine for 14 days on anyone who has been in Greater Sydney since December 11.

However Boss’s negative COVID test last Friday before he travelled to Queensland, and the fact he has not since returned to NSW, may mean he gets an exemption.

Glen Boss is desperate to be part of Magic Millions Raceday. Picture: Trackside Photography

Officials had asked three-time Melbourne Cup winner Boss to take the test due to the concerning escalation of growing numbers of COVID cases in Sydney’s northern beaches.

Victoria last Friday made the decision to stand down some of its jockeys who had recently been in NSW, pending the return of negative COVID tests.

On Saturday, Queensland announced a border crackdown with travellers from parts of NSW and greater Sydney now forced to get a coronavirus test and quarantine until they get results under tough new border measures for entering Queensland.

It has thrown plans for NSW-based jockeys intending to ride in the Queensland summer carnival and next month’s Magic Millions into chaos.

Boss has now revealed he will now not fly home to Sydney again over the festive season and instead spend time in Melbourne with his family, while making hit-and-run visits to Queensland to ride over the carnival.

“I’m simply not prepared to risk it (flying home to Sydney),” Boss said.

“I’ve packed my gear — I’m out, (wife) Sloane and the family are already in Melbourne.

“I have tested negative for COVID, I had to get a test done on Friday so I could get on a flight to come to Queensland.”

Boss already has two good rides in the feature races on the Gold Coast.

Boss could have a bonanza on Gold Coast Magic Millions Day where he is slated to ride Ciaron Maher and Dave Eustace’s Fake Love and Away Game in the $2 million two and three-year-old races.

Away Game finished second in her first run as a three-year-old when the filly was narrowly run down by a storming finish from Tony Gollan’s excitement machine Isotope in the Gold Edition Plate at Doomben on Saturday.

The two could have the rich Gold Coast Guineas at their mercy, with Isotope firming from $4.50 to $3 and Away Game from $8 to $6.

Boss could ride two-year-old Fake Love, which was unlucky when trapped wide and runner-up in the Listed Calaway Gal Stakes, in next Saturday’s $250,000 Group 3 BJ McLachlan Stakes at Eagle Farm.

However the filly could also be nominated for a two-year-old race in Sydney on the same day.

“I will have a think about it, she is 50-50 to run in the McLachlan,” co-trainer Maher said.

Originally published as Magic Millions mission: Why Glen Boss cannot risk flying back to Sydney because of COVID dramas