COURIER MAIL
27 September 2009
IT'S Cups time and three-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Glen Boss is on the prowl.
Boss wants to win a fourth Melbourne Cup to match the record feats of Harry White and Bobby Lewis, but is yet to lock in a ride in this year's great race at Flemington on November 3.
The former Gympie apprentice thought he was going to resume his association with Irish mare Profound Beauty. He rode the mare last year when an eye-catching fifth behind Viewed.
But trainer Dermot Weld has opted for his stable jockey Pat Smullen, leaving Boss in limbo.
"Apparently Dermot is bringing Pat over. It was a bit of a shock because I saw him (Weld) when I was in Los Angeles earlier in the year and he thought Smullen would struggle to get near the weight.
"But he's going to have a crack so good luck to him. I have to move on. I can't hang around. I have to chase other rides."
Boss is going to test the Lee Freedman-trained Speed Gifted as a possible Cup mount when he pilots the six-year-old in The Metropolitan at Randwick next month.
Speed Gifted needs to win the Metrop to qualify for the Caulfield Cup and edge him closer to a Melbourne Cup start.
A former English stayer, Speed Gifted won his first start for Freedman and finished well for fourth in the Naturalism Stakes at Caulfield last Saturday.
"I'm going to ride Speed Gifted in the Metrop and if he can win there that will qualify him for Caulfield," Boss said.
"He's a very talented horse and probably got further back than he would have liked the other day when he had a bad barrier to contend with. He's heading in the right direction and he's well in the Cup markets."
Boss, 40, is the only jockey to win three consecutive Melbourne Cups, achieving the feat aboard Makybe Diva, who coincidentally was trained by Freedman for her last two wins. The champion mare was prepared by David Hall when Boss won the first of his treble in 2003.
Despite his illustrious record, Boss had a difficult period last year when rides at his Sydney base dried up after he returned from a stint in Hong Kong.
"I don't know what happened. There was a perception I was not riding well. It was totally false. Talk like that starts and goes like wildfire.
"People I thought were in my corner turned their back, but that's racing and the nature of the beast. I'm not one to whinge so I packed up my bat and ball and went somewhere else."
In December, he made a career-changing decision and shifted with his family to Melbourne.
Since then Boss has gone from riding at the occasional midweek, to becoming one of Victoria's "have saddle will travel" riders, and he is loving it.
"It was a tough decision to make the move and I was never going to walk into the joint. Obviously I am well known but I am not a local so it has taken a lot of hard work, but I'm loving it.
"I used to ride at the occasional provincial in Sydney, but down here I enjoy riding everywhere. The racetracks here are amazing and top trainers are not scared to take good horses to these meetings. It's the way they work down here."
Boss notched his 65th Group 1 winner last Saturday when Turffontein won the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield. He also scored earlier on the day on highly-promising Thousand Guineas hope Irish Lights.
There is no doubt Boss is fully settled in Melbourne and riding as well as ever. It could be a rich carnival for the flamboyant rider.
He has started the season strongly and would dearly love to win his fourth title as Australia's leading Group 1 rider, which he took in seasons 2003-2005.
It is also no surprise he is supremely confident the fourth Cup will eventually come.
"You never know how long I'll stay here, but I would like to think this is my last port of call. It would be good to get a fourth Cup, whether it's this year or not, I'm sure I'll get there one day."
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