Damian Lane Latest News
26/10/2024
Prognosis Smashes Winx’s Track Record In Cox Plate – Yet Still Settles For Second
Mitsumasa Nakauchida’s raider was sent off as Cox Plate favourite, but the Japanese star was no match for the imperious Via Sistina.
Andrew Hawkins
17/10/2024
“A Very Intelligent Horse”: Lane Impressed By Prognosis At Valley Gallop
Moonee Valley’s tight turns and short straight can bring talented horses undone but Australian jockey Damian Lane is confident Prognosis is ready for his Cox Plate challenge after a solid gallop on the track on Thursday morning.
Michael Cox
18/09/2024
Damian Lane All-In On Sprinters Stakes Prospect Satono Reve
Japanese sprinters are considered the weakest of the country’s horses, but Australian jockey Damian Lane is hopeful that Noriyuki Hori’s son of Lord Kanaloa is a cut above.
Michael Cox
08/08/2024
Prognosis Connections ‘Leaning Towards’ Cox Plate With Damian Lane
Melbourne’s champion jockey Damian Lane is in line to partner Prognosis should the Japanese raider tackle the Cox Plate, but there are still hoops to jump through if the horse is to get to Moonee Valley.
David Morgan
04/08/2024
Damian Lane, Premiership Winner: But What Does The Future Hold?
With a long sought after premiership on his 'CV', the two years of JRA short-term licence eligibility it brings, and a baby on the way with his wife Bonnie, there is a lot going right for Damian Lane. But would he consider a full-time move to Japan?
Michael Cox
What Are Damian Lane’s Strengths as a jockey?
Damian Lane is the quiet achiever of Australian jockeys: a calm and level-headed professional with global ambitions.
Lane has combined his tidy, compact style with an ice-cool temperament and tactical awareness to become one of his nation’s most accomplished riders.
Versatility is a strength for Lane: he is equally at home on sprinters or stayers, on-pace or back in the field, where his timing and sense of pace come to the fore. What sets Lane apart from some of his contemporaries is his willingness to travel abroad and test himself, especially in Japan, where his quiet off-track demeanour is seen as a positive by connections.
Damian Lane’s Origin Story
Lane is the son of horse trainers Michael and Vickey Lane from Bunbury, 175 kilometres south of Perth in Western Australia.
Lane’s father was a talented rider who won Group 1 races in Western Australia before weight ended his career. It was Michael who guided Lane through the first part of his career, and after starting race riding at 16, he had 100 winners within two years and was bound for Melbourne.
Initially indentured to Matthew Ellerton and Simon Zahra, Lane rode 500 winners before he was 21 years of age and soon set his sights on the world.
What is Damian Lane’s Greatest Achievement?
The lucrative Japan Racing Association (JRA) attracts top jockeys from around the world, but Lane’s strike rate in Japan stacks up against all of them.
Lane was the second-fastest jockey in history to reach 100 JRA wins, taking 427 rides, behind only Joao Moreira (294). It could easily be argued that Lane’s achievement was at least as impressive as Moreira’s, given that most of Lane’s wins were achieved during the more competitive parts of the year, while Moreira’s were during the summer months in Sapporo.
Which horse is Damian Lane most famous for riding?
Lane’s exploits in Japan, where he has sought to educate himself on culture and language as well as racing, have gained him rides on some of the country’s best horses when they travel abroad.
Lys Gracieux delivered the jockey a unique Group 1 treble in 2019 when the classy mare won the Takarazuka Kinen, Cox Plate, and Arima Kinen with Lane aboard.
What is Damian Lane’s most memorable ride?
Lys Gracieux’s win in the 2019 Arima Kinen was dominant, but Lane’s ride was one of poise and confidence. Judging the pace and his run to perfection, it was as if Lys Gracieux was launched off the Nakayama turn and into the short home straight from a slingshot, the mare winning by five lengths in a canter.