Opie Bosson has settled on Neo as his mount in the NZ Two Thousand Guineas at Riccarton on Saturday week in a bid to win the race for a fifth time.
Bosson rode Neo to win the Wellington Guineas at Trentham on Saturday. He had also been offered the mount on Southern Lord, whom he rode to finish second to Ray's Girl in the $50,00 Canterbury Stakes at Riccarton on Sunday.
Bosson has won the Two Thousand Guineas on Katie Lee (2009), King's Chapel (2003), Buzz Lightyear (1999) and Danske (1998).
Darci Brahma (2005) is the most recent Wellington Guineas winner to succeed in the Two Thousand. Murray Baker, the co-trainer of Neo, won the Wellington Guineas with Ambitious Owner in 2004 and Rios in 2007.
Ambitious Owner finished second to Clean Sweep in the Two Thousand and Rios ran third to The Pooka and Alamosa.
Vinnie Colgan will now ride Southern Lord. He also has the mount on Durham Town in the Stewards' Handicap at the NZ Cup meeting. The Donna and Dean Logan-trained Durham Town has not raced since he finished fourth in the Healey Stakes at Eagle Farm, in June.
