Jockey Glen Boss pulls right rein with decision to abandon move to Queensland

A late call by Glen Boss to abort a move to Queensland has turned into one of the three-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey’s smartest and most lucrative decisions.

It has been the most lucrative six months in the glittering career of Glen Boss, but it could have been very different had he not pulled the pin on a planned move to Queensland.

Boss had made up his mind he would return to where it all began and see out his career in the Brisbane metropolitan ranks.

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But discussions with Gold Coast trainer Toby Edmonds and then his new manager Liam Prior brought about a change of heart and he returned to Sydney.

In the space of 29 days between October 5 and November 2, he won the $1 million Epsom on Kolding, the $14 million Everest on Yes Yes Yes and the $7.5 million Golden Eagle on Kolding.

It was an extraordinary sequence of wins, ticking off two of the three richest races on the Australian calendar.

Boss and Yes Yes Yes combine to win the $14 million TAB Everest.

“I was up here ready to make Queensland my base,” he said.

“I went to a meeting at the Sunshine Coast. It just didn’t feel right. It just didn’t feel the right time.

“I spoke to Toby Edmonds and then Liam, who said we should have a crack at Sydney, so I said, ‘let’s do it’.

“At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how good your ability is, you just need the support of the good trainers.

“I was lucky Chris (Waller) came on board and got behind me.”

Boss earmarked Kolding early in the season and pleaded with Waller to put him on.

He knew he was a very good horse the day he got “off the canvas” to beat subsequent dual Group 1 winner Fierce Impact and again when he beat Cox Plate placegetter Te Akau Shark in the Epsom.

Boss pilots Kolding to victory in the Golden Eagle.

But a trial after that win was the day Boss really felt the Nev Morgan-owned gelding was something special.

“I told Chris ‘this is airborne’. He went to another level,” Boss said.

“I thought he would win the Golden Eagle by three (lengths). I expected him to bolt in and things didn’t go his way, but he was still too good.

Boss had a similar feel when he rode Yes Yes Yes a week before The Everest.

“Chris galloped him with blinkers on the Saturday before. He didn’t go quick, he only went 36 (seconds for last 600m), but I got off and said to Chris ‘this gave me goosebumps’. You very rarely get that moment on a horse, when you say, ‘whoa, what have we got here?’ I couldn’t wait for The Everest after that,” he said.

“Literally, you are getting goose bumps. It happens very rarely.”

Boss with trainer Chris Waller after riding Kolding to victory. Picture: AAP

TOP JOCKEY ADMITS HE BLEW IT ON BLONDEAU LAST TIME

Glen Boss concedes his ride on joint Magic Millions favourite Blondeau at his debut was not his finest moment, but what it did do was tell him the I Am Invincible colt is potentially top class.

Blondeau, who will run in Saturday’s Group 3 B.J. McLachlan Stakes at Eagle Farm, raced wide before circling the field and kicking clear at Rosehill on December 11, only to be run down late by Aim, who subsequently franked the form with his dominant Randwick win on Saturday.

“For 2019, he was probably my worst ride,” Boss said of the Chris Waller-trained colt’s debut.

“I had some good ones, but that was my brain snap of the year. It was a bad ride, but he’s a really good colt.

“He went into that off a pretty soft trial and had a pretty tough run and blew out with me.

“I said to Chris, ‘Obviously it was a bad ride, blah blah blah, but he’s one of those colts that’s just going to bounce big time off that run’.

“Chris was concerned he might have had to do it too tough, but the horse has done exactly what I thought. He springboarded off that run and it’s really brought him on.

“The form has been franked pretty solidly. There’s no doubt Aim looked very good (on Saturday) and he was impressive.

“I think he beat ordinary horses, but visually he was good and the clock was good.’’

Blondeau as a result of Aim’s second win, firmed significantly for the Magic Millions, despite being at home in his box.

Waller accepted for him at Randwick today and Saturday, but has scratched him from both to run at Eagle Farm with Boss in the saddle.

“It seems the right race for him, 1200m Eagle Farm in a good race and you really find out where you are,” Boss said.

“If you can’t beat these he’s not going to be winning a Magic Millions, so you will know straightaway.”

Ladbrokes has marked Blondeau the $3 favourite for the McLachlan, with Every Rose the $3.50 second elect.

Boss will also ride Profit (Vo Rogue Plate) and Boomtown Lass (QTIS RB 0-90) for Chris Anderson on Saturday, as well as Queensland Guineas winner Sambro in the Bernborough Handicap and Miss Fabulass in The Buffering.

“I’m quite interested to ride (Profit), because he looks like a horse that delivers under pressure,’’ Boss said.

Originally published as Jockey Glen Boss pulls right rein with decision to abandon move to Queensland