The future for apprentice Damian Lane is suddenly looking much brighter less than two months after he was ready to pack his bags and head back to Perth.
Lane, who is attached to the Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra stable, arrived in Melbourne nearly 12 months ago but only now is his hard work starting to pay off.
Last Saturday he landed his first city double at Caulfield and on Saturday returns to that track for six rides including a feature race engagement on Darley’s Iriomote in the Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes (1200m).
Lane’s double on the Ellerton and Zahra-trained Star Of Giselle and the Darren Weir-trained Rue Maple barely rated a mention with the focus on the Sydney carnival but for Lane it was confirmation that he is on the right track.
Zahra said Lane, who has ridden 32 winners this season including nine in the city, had matured as a jockey and was now delivering on the promise he had always shown.
“Six weeks ago things weren’t going right for him and he wanted to go home but we told him the opportunities would come for him, especially with the senior riders away at the carnivals in Sydney and Adelaide,” Zahra said.
“To his credit he stuck to his guns and he is riding super.
“He was a bit weak when he first got here but now he is putting them in winning positions and riding them out well.”
His most important win to date was the Listed Lord Stakes at Mornington on Ulundi in December and he hopes that the Peter Snowden-trained Iriomote can emulate that level of success for him in the Redoute’s Choice and give his career more momentum heading into winter.
Melbourne foreman Paul Snowden said Iriomote, an Exceed And Excel filly and the first foal from stakeswinner Brom Felinity, had trained on well since her three-quarter length debut win at Kilmore on April 17.
“She seems to jump well from the gates and takes up a forward spot and that’s always a handy trait for a two-year-old,” Snowden said.
He said the rain-affected ground was an unknown as it was for most of the field but it was opportune to run as feature races at this time of the year in Melbourne were scarce.
“I think we’ve got to run,” Snowden said. “It is a Listed race and it would good black type for her at this time of her career.”
Past winners of the event, which was previously known as the Blue Sapphire Stakes, include Black Caviar who was successful at her second race start three years ago.
Gold In Dubai won the inaugural running in 2008 while Smokin’ Joey (2010), who earlier this month won the Victoria Handicap, and City Of Song (2011), who is one of the favourites for Saturday’s PFD Food Services Handicap (1400m), are the other winners.
Lane’s other rides on Saturday are Jessica Rose for Ellerton and Zahra, the Austy Coffey-trained He’s A Hotty, Rose Pattern for David Hayes, the Neil Dyer-trained Redhead Rage and Seqsational, trained by Mick Kent.
