Damian Lane has bounced back from a fall to claim a Group race double at Flemington including the Group One Makybe Diva Stakes on Humidor.
Lane and his mount Limestone escaped injury when falling in the final stages of Saturday’s Danehill Stakes before the jockey came out to win the Let’s Elope Stakes and Makybe Diva Stakes in consecutive races.
Coming from the tail of the field, Humidor ($17) scored by 3-1/4 lengths from the $1.70 favourite Hartnell with Black Heart Bart ($8.50) a half-length away third.
Lane thought his day may have been over when he crashed with Limestone.
“For a few moments there I thought I’d definitely at least be missing the rest of the day,” Lane said.
“But I gave it five or 10 minutes and I felt good to go.
“I’m lucky to have escaped with no injury.”
A winner of the Australian Cup at Flemington in the autumn, Humidor firmed to $5 favourite for the Caulfield Cup 2017 after Saturday’s win and into $13 second favourite for the Melbourne Cup 2017.
Lane described Humidor as a great talent who is starting to put it all together.
“He lobbed along out the back and he travelled up underneath me turning for home,” Lane said.
“I thought I was the winner a long way out.
“He’s come such a long way since he came into the stable.”
Trainer Darren Weir said the New Zealand-bred five-year-old was tracking well towards his spring target of next month’s Caulfield Cup.
He said the gelding was likely to head to the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington on October 7.
“He’s always promised to do that but it’s been a matter of getting him right and the team have worked hard trying to get his manners better,” Weir said.
“It’s clear at his last two starts that it’s working.
“He’s paraded a lot better and Damian’s done a lot of the hard yards going to Casterton and Coleraine doing all his trackwork.”
After winning the PB Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield last month, Hartnell was expected to add Saturday’s Group One race to his record.
After enjoying a good run behind the leader, jockey Kerrin McEvoy expected a better finish from the gelding.
“He finished off OK but the winner showed more dash than me there today,” McEvoy said.
