Caulfield Cup: Damian Lane the mastermind in Japanese triumph with Mer De Glace
Victorian jockey Damian Lane hatched a plan to win the Caulfield Cup in the land of the Rising Sun almost six months ago - only problem was he had to convince connections to bring their Japanese warrior Down Under. RECAP THE DAY
The persuasive powers of star jockey Damian Lane and the might of the Japanese pulled off a Caulfield Cup heist when northern raider Mer De Glace saluted in a rough-house version of the $5 million race.
Lane’s biggest Australian success came when he made a perfectly timed run, piloting the $8 chance to a one-length victory over the fast-finishing local Vow And Declare ($8) with Mirage Dancer ($16) in third place.
The race took just over 150 seconds to run, but in reality the plan to win this year’s Caulfield Cup was hatched way back in June when Lane saluted on Mer De Glace in the Naruo Kinen in Japan.
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It was his second win on the horse — who has now won six in a row — and immediately after that race he set about trying to convince trainer Hisashi Shimizu to bring the horse out to Australia.
It was no easy task. Shimizu and the horse’s owner, U. Carrot Farm’s Dr H. Akita, were concerned about the weight the five-year-old horse would be allocated and wondering if the trip Down Under might not be in the horse’s best interests. But Lane kept pushing. And pushing.
Eventually, they relented.
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On Saturday, the three of them — a one-time kid from Bunbury in Western Australia, and the two Japanese horse lovers — united in a crowded mounting yard at Caulfield, as the rain eased off after coming down in waves just prior to the race.
“I planted the seed after the second time I won on him,” the 25-year-old jockey said.
“Connections were really happy to come because it looked like he was going to get 53kg.
"Then he won again and it was questionable because he was going to go up to 55kg. There were a few moments when they thought it might have been too much for him.
“But I pushed my manager here, Adam Harrington, who helps me with my rides and interpreting in Japan. I just pushed him to make it happen.
“I begged them to come because I knew 55kg was still a winnable weight. I’m forever grateful they brought him out here.”
The only negative for Lane came when he was charged by the stewards and pleaded guilty at a hearing that didn’t have a conclusion until hours after the running of the Caulfield Cup.
He was suspended for 10 meetings, and will miss Derby day, but will be able to ride at the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup meetings.Lane’s extended stint in Japan this year paid huge dividends at the time.
It has now helped him land his first win in one of Victoria’s big three spring majors. Before he left for Japan in April, he said wanted to travel to make himself a better rider, but “finding a cups horse would be a real bonus”.
That bonus arrived on Saturday.
“I would say from that run, he (Mer De Glace) would go on towards the Melbourne Cup, but we will wait and see what weight (penalty) he gets,” Lane said.
“(The Caulfield Cup) is a great thrill … it has been a long-range plan and it has all come together. It’s a big effort from everyone involved to get here.”
Lane described Mer De Grace as “not much to look at but he is just a tradesman”.
"He just keeps turning up and winning. Not many horses win five on the bounce in Japan because they are all weight-for-age races so they go up steep every time.”
The horse’s work ethic mirrored that of his jockey who has made his name in recent years in Australia, and has also stretched his wings on the international stage.
A trainer who supported Lane early in his career, Simon Zahra, said the jockey's willingness to get his hands dirty stood out as a young talent.
“He was a young kid when he walked through the door and now he’s a freak,” Zahra said having been one of the first to congratulate Lane.
“He went over to Japan and built good contacts and has come back a better rider. The pressure doesn’t get to him. He’s always so cool and that’s one thing in his favour.”
glenn.mcfarlane@news.com.au
Originally published as Caulfield Cup: Damian Lane the mastermind in Japanese triumph with Mer De Glace