Jockey Damian Lane will miss three Group 1 races at Sandown on February 25 … the Blue Diamond, the Oakleigh Plate and the Futurity Stakes … in favour of making the trip to the Saudi Cup Carnival meeting at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh where he will once again link up with his Japanese connections who has brought hm so much success in recent years.
Lane, who will joined by fellow Australian Caitlin Jones who has been invited back Saudi Arabia to defend her Saudi Cup International Jockey Challenge Title she won last year.
Lane, as reported on Racing.com, will be trying to help the Keisuke Miyata trained Dancing Prince claim back-to-back victories in the US$1.5 million Group 3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint, a race Dancing Prince won last year with Christopher Lemaire in the saddle.
Lane is also due to ride the Haruki Sugiyama trained Daring Tact in the US$1.5 million G3 Neom Turf Cup and the Yasutoshi Ikee trained Silver Sonic in the US2.5 million G3 Red Sea Turf Handicap.
Given the enormous prize-money on offer throughout the Saudi Cup Carnival and a further chance to cement his position with the top Japanese trainers, it is easy to understand lane’s decision to head to Saudi Arabia.
Lane has already scored Group 1 wins aboard Japanese runners in Japan, Australia, Hong Kong and Dubai … and if he were to put a Group race success in Saudi Arabia behind his name, it would be a another significant entry on Lane’s list of international winners.
