New Zealander Ocean Park and jockey Glen Boss after winning the Cox Plate in sensational style. Picture: David Caird Source: Herald Sun
TRIPLE Melbourne Cup winner Glen Boss believes many top jockeys get it wrong by over-analysing and complicating the race that stops a nation.
The champion hoop, who produced magnificent rides to win three successive Cups on Makybe Diva, claims the secret to his Spring Carnival success is simply switching on "autopilot" during marquee races.
Boss made the revelation that he is more relaxed before the Melbourne Cup than any other race - and he feels many jockeys become too hyped up before the big race.
"Some jockeys just get very tense because it's the Melbourne Cup - they get into massive amounts of form study and have a strict race plan and structure," Boss told The Courier-Mail.
"I am basically the opposite. I have an overall view of what I want to do - I get a picture in my head - and then I just go out there and go just completely ad-lib.
"I get so relaxed and switched off, everything is relaxed, my body and my mind. I think that is the best way to do it.
"When you do that, for an athlete when you are in that zone, you just automatically do the right things without even thinking about it. That's the spot I try to get into."
Having stitched up a third Cox Plate when he won on Kiwi raider Ocean Park last weekend, Boss needs to win on Gatewood in Saturday's Lexus to qualify the imported stayer for Tuesday's Melbourne Cup.
Even if Gatewood wins, there is a slight chance Boss could still be left without a Cup ride as Gatewood's part-owner Terry Henderson has warned that even a win in the Lexus would not guarantee a start in the big race three days later.
But most racing insiders would be stunned if connections did not pay up in the event of the horse winning on Saturday.
Boss believes the key to Melbourne Cup glory comes at the start rather than the end of the 3200m blue-chip staying test.
"The most important point of the race is getting to the winning post the first time," Boss said.
"You want to be in a spot and you want to be completely relaxed by the time you get to the top of the straight on that first occasion.
"After that, everything is about going fast late, you slowly build up to it.
"You want to be going quickest through the line - that is basically your best chance of winning the Melbourne Cup."
As for what point to make a decisive and winning Melbourne Cup run, Boss says it depends on the horse.
"Some horses you need to get stoked up, you need to rev their motors up and get going early," he says.
"Some horses you've got to hold on to. Some horses might not really get the trip so you've got to give them a cuddle."
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