WYONG trainer Damien Lane has called on an “outside” apprentice for his two representatives at Kembla Grange tomorrow as he closes in on a career 300 wins.
With his own apprentice Anna Roper sidelined through injury, Lane has turned to Hawkesbury’s Zac Wadick to partner both She’s A Bad Girl and Red Cobra.
She’s A Bad Girl resumes in the Midway Class 1 Handicap (1000m), and Red Cobra contests the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1500m).
Lane, with 297 winners to his credit, was en route to the Orange Cup Showcase meeting on Friday morning with three horses when he explained the reason for the riding switch at Kembla Grange.
“Anna hurt her right knee at the Newcastle trials last Friday,” he said.
“It’s the same knee which kept her out of the saddle for eight months following an incident returning to the enclosure after a race at Muswellbrook in November, 2022.
“Anna goes back to see the doctor on Monday, and hopefully she will be cleared to resume riding.
“I had her booked for these horses at Kembla Grange but Zac is a good replacement.
“He had a couple of rides for me previously when he was based at Taree, and is riding well and his 2kg claim is beneficial.”
Wadick, like Roper (69 wins), is enjoying his best season (51 wins), and has been with leading Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup since relocating there just after Christmas.
“She’s A Bad Girl hasn’t trialled, but goes well fresh and this looks a suitable race for her to begin another campaign,” Lane said.
“She hasn’t been out of the money when resuming, having won once and been placed three times from four first-up runs.”
The Deep Field mare won a Muswellbrook Maiden (1000m) when fresh on September 28 last year, and two starts later was runner-up in a Midway Class 1 over tomorrow’s distance at Kembla Grange.
Lane is banking on the roomy Kembla Grange circuit proving a bonus for Red Cobra in the Benchmark 64 Handicap.
A four-year-old son of Sebring, his only win was at home in a 1600m Provincial Maiden last November, but he has been placed on seven occasions.
“Red Cobra doesn’t have a lot of early toe, and as a result gets back in his races,” Lane said.
“He does his best work at the end, and the big straight at Kembla should help him.”
Red Cobra was warming up nicely at his second run back when third in a Provincial Class 1 Handicap (1350m) at Wyong on March 30.
Lane also accepted with Wealthy Investor at Kembla Grange, but the gelding will be an absentee as he drew poorly in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m).
Wadick has picked up the mount in that race on the promising John O’Shea trained Physical Graffiti.
The Russian Revolution three-year-old has raced only twice, and was a runaway winner for Tyler Schiller in a Super Maiden Plate (1200m) at a Gosford Thursday meeting on April 4 when having his first start since finishing third as an early two-year-old in the Breeders Plate (1000m) at Randwick in October, 2022.
. The rail is out 9m from the 1100m to the winning post, and 7m for the remainder of the circuit.
Course manager Dave Anderson at 8.25am on Friday posted a “Good 4” rating.
Story John Curtis, April 19, 2024 - Pics supplied
. Michael Craig’s selections are as follows:
Race 1 - 2 Smashing Time fought on nicely in town on debut
1 Interjection caught wide at only start
5 Squeezebox ran into strife at W Farm
Race 2 - 8 Parade Ground runner-up at past 2 starts
2 Monty Missile beaten fav. when just run down on debut
7 Jump In The Line has been close up in all 3 starts
Race 3 - 2 American Starlet narrowly beaten as fav. last start
7 Jawharat Dubai getting close to a win
10 Zeema battled on in very heavy conditions last start
Race 4 - 6 Faye Runaway could show up at first start
10 Mega Fight not asked to do a lot in recent trial
3 irish Bliss not the roughest
Race 5 - 4 Khumbila has pace and will be hard to run down
2 Bully For You hard to fault recent form
9 Monte Supreme promising type
Race 6 - 5 Turbulent big chance first up
6 Flightcrew handy winner when resuming
4 Reluctance this looks tougher but won well first up
Race 7 - 5 Physical Graffiti very impressive when resuming
3 Invincible Spy primed to go first up
7 Nanshe could be hard to hold out
Race 8 - 14 Ring Me Up not asked to do much in recent trial
17 Tip Top Timing good chance fresh
2 Inquiring Minds could be hard to hold out
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