Lane’s Laced Up Heels confidence

A call from leading jockey Damian Lane was enough to convince owner Eddie Rigg and trainer Luke Fernie to send Laced Up Heels to South Australia for another shot at blacktype success.

The mare was set to head to the paddock following her second placing in the Listed-Sheila Gwynne Classic (1400m), but will instead run in this Saturday’s Group 3 Proud Miss Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville.

It will be the mare’s fifth start for the campaign, which has included a win at Ascot on Easter Saturday and runner-up performances in the Sheila Gwynne Classic and The Joey (1200m).

Rigg said Damian Lane’s call to Luke Fernie swayed both he and trainer to have a shot at Saturday’s $150,000 event.

“We decided that whatever happens after the Sheila Gwynne, she would head to the paddock,” Rigg told The Races WA.

“I said to Luke she’s had a really good campaign and thought four runs back was enough after coming back from Melbourne, where she was quite sick.

“Luke then called me the Monday after the Sheila Gwynne and told me he had a call from Damian and said ‘we’re going to Adelaide’.

“Damian said there’s a Group 3 race there, which is very winnable and she’s as good as any mare over there.”

Lane will ride Laced Up Heels in the Proud Miss Stakes, as well as fellow WA mares Amelia’s Jewel and Be Optimistic in their assignments on the lucrative day.

Laced Up Heels has drawn fairly in barrier nine and is expected to be one of the leading chances in the race.

The Ciaron Maher-trained Extratwo ($4.80) displaced Laced Up Heels ($5.50) as TABtouch favourite earlier today, with Grey River and Aviatress the other runners under $10 with betting apps.

Rigg said the Proud Miss Stakes was more than likely going to be Laced Up Heels’ last run for the campaign, but was mindful of giving her too big a break before The Pinnacles later this year.

“At this point in time she will run on Saturday and spell for a few weeks in Adelaide,” he said.

“I’m mindful of her being in the paddock for more than three months because she’s quite a gross mare and can put a lot of weight on.

“Things can change and if she blows them away, I don’t mind travelling.

“If I can get east coast blacktype on her it makes her extremely valuable.”

Rigg has another exciting mare set to start first-up on racing’s return to Belmont Saturday week, with Duchess Of Gossip to run over 1200m.

Rigg said it was a good starting point for the Dion Luciani-trained mare, who could be Goldfields bound later this year.

“She’s really flying,” he said.

“Her first campaign was spectacular and she won some of those races quite easily.

“Dion couldn’t get the weight off her last campaign and she didn’t get a lot of luck in her races.

“We spelled her differently this time in a normal paddock with other horses and treated her as if she was any other horse.

“Dion couldn’t be happier with her now.”