WHAT better way to win a race at a home town feature meeting with a horse named after your birthplace?
Even better when it’s a “family horse” racing for the first time.
Coonamble native Damien Lane is a great supporter of his home club’s race meetings, and was delighted to score with debutante Canamble at yesterday’s WRA Country Championships Qualifier meeting.
Owned by Lane’s wife Kate and ridden by Tommy Berry, the two-year-old daughter of Aylmerton landed the Boot Prelude 2YO Handicap (1100m).
Aylmerton, who won his first two starts as a two-year-old in 2018 and now stands at Woodpark Stud, Mittagong, had Berry aboard when he ran 10th in Estijaab’s Golden Slipper Stakes that year.
Lane secured Canamble from Aylmerton’s second crop for $14,000 at last year’s Inglis Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association yearling sale at their Riverside complex in Sydney.
“When you go to that sale (formerly held at Scone during Cup week), you buy on type,”
Lane said this morning as he was about to embark on the six-hour return trip back to his Wyong base.
“Canamble was a really nice type of filly from a well-bred stallion and she wasn’t dear.”
Lane was able to book top Sydney jockey Berry for yesterday’s mount well beforehand.
“Coonamble Jockey Club contacted me a while back to ask if I had any decent chances at the meeting, and naturally I was happy to have an invited jockey such as Tommy on board,” he said.
“I was pretty confident Canamble would run well, but nonetheless was worried about Scott Singleton’s filly Too Darn Lovely, who had won her first two starts at Scone and Quirindi.
“Two-year-olds who have raced generally have an advantage over their unraced rivals.”
As it turned out, Lane need not have worried.
Canamble ($4) chased the pacy Too Darn Lovely ($2.30 favorite), then ran her down in the straight and held off local youngster Brutal Love ($5) to claim the $15,000 first prize.
Canamble’s victory guaranteed her a start in the $200,000 Wellington Boot (1100m) at the Showcase meeting on April 14, and her trainer now is in an envious position of having some thinking to do.
“I’ll be guided by the filly’s progress as there is also the option to go to the Inglis 2YO Challenge (1100m), which is worth the same money at the Scone Cup carnival on May 17,” he said.
Lane travelled to Coonamble on Saturday, listening intently to Gosford races en route.
“I thought I had a couple of good chances there, but it wasn’t to be although they both ran well,” he said.
“Jamakin Money was a close fourth at her first run since January last year, and All Too Sneaky was narrowly beaten by fellow Wyong trainer Kristen Buchanan’s Drama Dodger.”
Story John Curtis, March 18, 2024 - Pics Bradley Photos
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