Bosson to ride Newlands in QE II Cup

Opie Bosson has been granted a one-day visiting jockey's licence by the Singapore Turf Club for the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup meeting this Sunday.

The two-time New Zealand champion jockey has picked up the ride on the Stephen Gray-trained NEWLANDS in the $500,000 feature named in honour of the British monarch's state visit to Singapore in 1972.

Bosson is no stranger to local racegoers as he rode several times in Singapore over the years, including landing two of its biggest races - the Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup aboard the Laurie Laxon-trained Recast in 2007 and the Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby aboard the Bruce Marsh-trained Race Ahead in 2010.

His first visit to Singapore was in 1998 when he was still an apprentice jockey, riding for former trainer Bernard Ang at Bukit Timah.

That same year, the three-time champion apprentice jockey earned the distinction of winning the Group 1 Victoria Oaks in Australia aboard Grand Archway at the age of 17.

When he returned to Singapore in 2000, racing was already at Kranji. Known as a heavyweight jockey, Bosson last rode in Singapore in 2012, brought in by Marsh and fellow Kiwi Mark Walker, during which time he notched another feature race, the Group 2 Stewards' Cup atop Gingerbread Man for Marsh.

Currently licensed by New Zealand Racing, Bosson, 36, has racked up around 1,580 winners, including 164 at Group and Listed level. He has close to 50 Group 1 wins to his name, with the highlight being the Caulfield Cup on Mongolian Khan in 2015.