Jockey Damian Lane chasing big-race success on his return to Perth

GUN Melbourne-based jockey Damian Lane is planning to spoil the Buffering party at Ascot on Saturday, as he tries to win a Group race in his home state for the first time.

Caulfield Cup Day races at Caulfield Racecourse, Damian Lane onboard Sacred Eye wins with trainer David Hayes. . Melbourne. 17th October 2015. Picture: Colleen Petch. CaulfieldCup15

GUN Melbourne-based jockey Damian Lane is planning to spoil the Buffering party at Ascot on Saturday, as he tries to win a Group race in his home state for the first time.

Lane started his career in Western Australia under the guidance of his father Michael and has two rides for the stable in support races on Saturday before riding He’s Our Rokkii (WA Guineas) and Fast ‘N’ Rocking (Winterbottom) for David Hayes and Tom Dabernig and then emerging miler Hazzabeel for Dan Morton in the Group 1 Railway.

After hitting 80 winners in both of his first two full seasons in WA, Lane made the move to Victoria, where he shot up the ranking charts with consecutive 100-plus winning seasons. The only reason he did not hit the century last year (87 wins) was because he was given his first opportunity in Hong Kong, where his five winners included one at odds of almost 250-1.

“Danny Shum threw me a ride that no one else wanted to ride,” he said. “I think it had beaten one runner home all season.

“It just jumped to the front, led all the way and never looked like getting beat. The reception coming back was a very quiet one.

“Hong Kong was a good experience. It definitely benefited my riding.

“I’m happy with the way things are progressing and hopefully I can keep moving forward and get my hands on as many Group 1s as I can.”

While he fell short of 100 winners last season, Lane did land his first Group 1 win, piloting Trust In A Gust to win the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes for Darren Weir.

He was also narrowly beaten on Extra Zero in a deceptive Australian Cup finish.

Damian Lane hopes to snare a Group 1 win in his home state on Saturday. Picture: Colleen Petch

He thinks Fast ‘N’ Rocking is a genuine chance to give him another major today, noting he beat Buffering “easily” when the pair met in the Manikato Stakes last month.

“He’s flying,” Lane said. “His run at Moonee Valley was exceptional.

“All he needs is a bit of luck and he will be hard to beat.”

Lane said he needed luck on both Hazzabeel and He’s Our Rokkii from bad gates, but both are good enough to win.

“(Hazzabeel’s) chances are going to be dictated to in the first few hundred metres,” he said. “If he can get across from barrier 14 without doing too much work early, I think he will be in the race a long way and will be hard to get past.

“He’s Our Rokki definitely has the right formline (but) not the right barrier. He has been riddled with bad barriers his whole campaign. If I can get him into a nice spot I think he can definitely beat them.

“He closed off behind Mahuta in the worst part of the track on Derby day and Mahuta came out and thrashed them in the Sandown Guineas, so it’s just the run he gets from the barrier.’’

Originally published as Jockey Damian Lane chasing big-race success on his return to Perth