By Bren O'Brien
Inspired by the extraordinary farewell to Winx (Steeet Cry {Ire}) after her win in the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. last month, 82-time Group 1 winning jockey Glen Boss has opted to return home to Australia to ride after a three-year spell in Singapore.
Boss, who last month rode Brutal (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) to victory in The G1 Doncaster Mile, said his time back in Australia during The Championships has re-invigorated his desire to ride permanently in his home country.
"There is so much good stuff going on in Australia at the moment, it’s hard to ignore," Boss told Sky Racing Radio.
Glen Boss winning the G1 Doncaster Mile during The Championships
"The thrill of riding at home there is a lot of positive stuff going on at the moment and looking from abroad, you notice it. Everybody is talking about Australian racing at the moment, everybody! How big and strong it is, so it’s very hard to ignore."
"Everybody is talking about Australian racing at the moment, everybody!" - Glen Boss
"I had the opportunity to go on to the inner track when Winx went out (before the Queen Elizabeth) and that was incredible. To just be a bystander and watch her race and watch the crowd and the people react. It was just that moment where I thought, I miss this moment. You just don’t get that here (in Singapore)."
Boss has been one of Australia's best riders of the past 20 years, riding three G1 Melbourne Cup winners, three G1 Cox Plate winners, a G1 Golden Slipper S. winner as well as seven victories in the Doncaster Mile.
Now aged 49, Boss said he was in the best physical condition of his decorated career and still had plenty left to achieve.
"I'm as fit as I have ever been in my life. Physically and mentally, I am still well. I think I've still got a lot of offer. There's one itch that I have to scratch and I’d really love to win a Caulfield Cup, then I could say I have won 'the four'. That would sit pretty good with me," he said.
Glen Boss with Lucky Hussler after winning the G1 Toorak Handicap
"It re-invigorates you every time you move somewhere. You get into a different lifestyle in different places. I'm feeling that way about coming back home now. There are more challenges. There are more mountains for me to climb and that's always exciting."
"I’d really love to win a Caulfield Cup, then I could say I have won 'the four'." - Glen Boss
"I will go back to Melbourne and base myself out of Melbourne for the time being. I'll travel up to Brisbane for the rest of the carnival and I'll then sit down with the family and work out what my movements will be after that. It may possibly be Queensland and I'll follow the carnivals around."
Boss will arrive back in Melbourne by the end of the month, winding up his time in Singapore on Kranji S. day on May 25.
Rare insight into Bowman
Boss's arrival back in Australia comes as another Hall Of Fame member the newly-inducted Hugh Bowman, takes a break from riding after the extraordinary pressure of guiding superstar mare Winx to a record 33 straight wins.
Boss, who rode the triple Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva (GB) (Desert King {Ire}) said he has spoken to Bowman this week about their shared experience and backed his decision to take time away.
"I had a really good chat with Hughie the other day about that. He probably went through the same thing that I went through, the whirlwind. You just get caught up in it. Everyone wants a piece of flesh and you get pulled here and pulled there. You don’t get time to smell the roses and soak it all in," Boss said.
Glen Boss and three-time Melbourne Cup winner, Makybe Diva
"It’s not until two weeks after it all finished that it hits you like a tidal wave and you get the crazy emotions."
Boss, meanwhile, rides at Doomben on Saturday, taking three rides, including Luvaluva (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in the G1 Hardy Brothers Jewellers Doomben Cup.
"Unfortunately, Luvaluva has drawn the carpark, so she is going to have to do a good job from out there. Hopefully we can get some luck and run well," he said.
He was more effusive about one of his other rides, the Chris Waller trained Re Edit (Camelot {GB}), who runs in the G2 Magic Millions The Roses.
"I've spoken to the Waller camp. They are pretty excited about this filly. They say she is very, very good and they feel like she is on the upward spiral. I know her form is country style form, but they have a big opinion of her and they think she will be going places very quickly," he said.
