The perseverance of jockey Damian Lane in taking a rails run aboard Rioyuki paid off with the filly landing a narrow win at The Valley.
Rioyuki scored her first metropolitan success in the Mitty’s Handicap (1500m) on Saturday with trainer Matthew Williams saying it would have been a crying shame to see the filly beaten.
With Lane taking a narrow run on the fence, Rioyuki ($4.20) got the bob in on the line to score by a nose from Indented Head ($13) with Cherrypick ($9.50) a further 3-½ lengths away third.
Rioyuki was buried away on the fence in the run but was able to track the runner-up Indented Head up on the fence.
Luckily for Lane, Indented Head rolled off the fence enough when hitting the front in the straight to give Rioyuki an unimpeded run to the line.
“She looked before the corner like she was bolting and needed a bit of luck, but the gap wasn’t appearing until late and when it did, she was able to take it,” Williams said.
“The Valley can be a bit ‘hard-lucky’ sometimes. You have to keep your momentum going with a short little straight.
“He was able to get out in time and get the job done.”
Lane believes Rioyuki is capable of progressing to a higher grade, saying her racing pattern has been against her on a occasions previously.
He said being able to ride her a couple of pairs closer in the run on Saturday had been beneficial.
“She normally gets back in the ruck and finds a bit of bad luck but from the inside draw I was able to find a close position,” Lane said.
“Hopefully going forward she can be a little bit more versatile and race closer to the speed and give herself a better chance.”
