Boss Lane has again proved there’s no place like home by winning for the seventh time at Randwick and claiming the July Sprint with Sydney’s leading apprentice Andrew Adkins in the saddle.
The Ron Quinton-trained six-year-old gelding hadn’t won over 1100 metres in seven previous attempts and if that drought was to be broken, Randwick was the likely venue.
“As we all know, he loves Randwick – he races well here,” Quinton said after Boss Lane ($9) beat Petrossian ($5) by a neck.
Adkins, the champion apprentice-in-waiting, produced a canny ride that prevented $4 favourite Felines, who finished half a length further back with Hugh Bowman on board, finding a run until it was too late.
“It was going to be very close in the finish, I thought, so I locked the best horse out of the race,” Adkins said after Boss Lane’s ninth career win.
“He put in a great performance. It’s probably the calmest he’s ever been going to the gates. I didn’t know if it would be a good thing or a bad thing.
“Coming to the turn he gave me a really good feel and when I asked him to, he really let down.”
Adkins had an unassailable double-digit lead over Rachel King with two metro meetings remaining and was rapt to have ridden another winner for Quinton.
“Ron’s obviously my biggest supporter. It’s been a magic year with him. We’ve had a lot of success and he’s stuck by me solid.”
