Osmond after a Queensland claim to fame

By Jordan Gerrans

Talented apprentice Benjamin Osmond is eager to make hay while the sun shines with the remainder of his riding claim during his Queensland stint.

The 26-year-old has recently shifted north to be based at Kris Lees’ Gold Coast satellite stable which is run by Mel Eggleston. 

Osmond still claims two kilograms in the city and has been a popular booking in recent weeks since moving north as he has been snapped up by top stables such as Jack Bruce, Chris Waller, Chris and Corey Munce and Stuart Kendrick, among others.

He nabbed his first win following the recent move aboard Power Of The Brave for Lees at Caloundra late last month.

Osmond heads to Eagle Farm on Wednesday with two chances to continue to make his mark in the Sunshine State.

“It's slowly, slowly starting to pick up, so hopefully we can just get the ball rolling with a winner or two here and there,” Osmond said.

“I want to make the most of my time up here.

“It is not really much of a change being up here compared to where I was.

“The races, they probably run a bit quicker down there, but it's all pretty the same and it's not much of a transition that you have to make."

The emerging hoop has been booked to partner Isla Delilah for the Munce camp in the Maiden Handicap over 1800 metres while the in-form Renita Beaton yard has landed Osmond to ride Fortuneer in the Benchmark 65 Handicap over 1200 metres on Wednesday. 

Also based on the Gold Coast, Beaton has prepared three winners from her last six starters.

With Osmond’s time as an apprentice set to come to an end soon, the Lees stable thought a northern shift would do him the world of good.

“Ben has ridden 128 career winners, including 30 metropolitan and 58 at the provincials,” Lees stable spokesman Danny Greer said.

“He has made a few trips to Queensland in recent months to ride at Saturday meetings and was successful on Power Of The Brave for Kris at the Sunshine Coast metropolitan meeting recently. 

“Ben comes out of his time as an apprentice at the end of May, and with the Sydney autumn carnival on our doorstep, Kris feels it is the right time for him to head north and try his luck there.

“Obviously the length of his stay in Queensland will be determined by the amount of success he has and we’re confident he will do well.”

The apprentice won his maiden stakes-level event last year when Harlem Queen saluted in the Listed Ladies Day Cup at Hawkesbury in November for trainer Nathan Doyle.

“It's very competitive at the moment, down in Sydney, especially with the carnival coming up and all that,” Osmond said.

“I'd either be just going there for one ride in town or I'd be back at the provincials.

“So, I might as well come up here and make the use of my claim while I still have it.

“Once my apprenticeship ends, that'll be gone, so it's probably pretty convenient that Kris also has a stable up here, so it's kind of worked out really good.

“Kris was one of the main supporters I had back at home, which was huge.”

Osmond has enjoyed Queensland success in previous stints as he won aboard Navyonthehighway at Doomben last October for the father-and-son team of Chris and Corey Munce.

Osmond is likely to head back to New South Wales, where his family resides, to ride as a senior once his apprentice days come to an end.