Damian Lane has been snapped up for one of the favourites in the Cox Plate after the suspensions of high profile jockeys

Sanctions from the Mornington jockeys will open doors for other riders in the spring carnival champion hoop Brett Prebble says and Damian Lane is one to have benefitted.

Damian Lane has picked up the mount on Verry Elleegant in the Cox Plate. Picture: Mark Evans–Getty Images

Damian Lane has been booked to ride Caulfield Cup winner Verry Elleegant in the $5m Cox Plate at The Valley on October 23.

Verry Elleegant co-owner Brae Sokolski confirmed the engagement after connections went back to the drawing board following Mark Zahra’s spring carnival-ending suspension.

Zahra on Saturday became implicated in the illegal Mornington house party which led to Jamie Kah, Ben Melham, Ethan Brown and Celine Gaudray receiving three-month bans.

“There was a legacy relationship last year with Mark (winning Caulfield Cup),” Sokolski said.

“That’s why we didn’t revisit the decision but Damian is every bit as good a rider as we have in Australia, especially when you think about big races.

“We have lost nothing, apart from the drama which is now in the rear-view mirror … we have the right horse at the right time and now the final piece of the jigsaw is the right jockey.”

Lane, who has links to the connections of Verry Elleegant through retired warrior Humidor, won the 2019 Cox Plate with Japanese superstar Lys Gracieux.

Lane’s booking follows champion Damien Oliver’s commitment to ride Gold Trip in the Cox Plate – replacing Melham.

The ride on Cox Plate favourite Zaaki remains up in the air with Sydney-based James McDonald in an uphill battle to secure a clearance to travel to Melbourne.

Kah was privately sounded out for the mount in the event McDonald declined.

But Brett Prebble, the first and deserving beneficiary of Melbourne’s rejigged riding ranks, says “doors will open” for more jockeys in the Group 1 arena.

The ousted trio – Kah, Melham and Zahra – regularly ride for Melbourne’s biggest or most successful stables.

But as Melbourne is likely to remain a “closed shop” to interstate jockeys due to border closures, the annual rush to snap up the best available riders could be delayed.

It gives top flight jockeys – including Craig Williams, Jye McNeil and John Allen – some extra flexibility to wait for the best option.

Prebble, who won last Saturday’s Group 1 Memsie Stakes on Behemoth after ­replacing Kah, highlighted the importance of delivering on race day.

“A few doors are going to open up in the next couple of days, with certain things going on, and some people’s misfortune is other people’s fortune,” Prebble said.

“Opportunity will arise and those (available jockeys) have got to put their hand up and make it count; if they don’t, well, that’s life, and someone else will get the opportunity. Racing is a very fickle game.”

Prebble, who committed to Cups boom stayer Incentivise last week after Glen Boss’s bid to relocate to Victoria failed, hopes to continue riding the momentum after winning the Memsie.

“It re-establishes me as a chance in major races again, not just pick-up rides,” Prebble said.

“Reassures people I can get the job done on the big stage still – out of sight out of mind, well, now I’m not.”

Prebble dominated Hong Kong, the most competitive racing jurisdiction in the world, for a decade before moving back to Australia 18 months ago.

Originally published as Damian Lane has been snapped up for one of the favourites in the Cox Plate after the suspensions of high profile jockeys