LANE CHASING A SECOND PMC QUALIFIER

DAMIEN Lane has confirmed Jason Collett’s booking for Oakfield Jupiter in Royal Randwick’s Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m).

And whilst Collett will be chasing his third success in the $1m feature, to be run on the second day (April 11) of The Championships, the Wyong trainer is hoping to clinch a second qualifier at Kembla Grange tomorrow.

Oakfield Saturn ($12 with TAB.com.au on Friday morning) will represent Lane in the fifth Qualifier (1400m), and stable apprentice Anna Roper has the mount.

“This will be our one and only crack with the mare,” Lane said this morning.

“It she can finish in the first two, it will then be three weeks to the Final.”

Lane skilfully planned Oakfield Jupiter’s qualification – she ran a gallant second to Buffalo in the second heat at Newcastle on February 28 – and has done the same with her stablemate, keen to get a similar result.

“Oakfield Saturn has already won over 1600m (at Wyong’s Saturday feature The Lakes meeting on January 10), and I’m sure she is going to get over further ground,” he said.

“That’s why we are just having the one shot at a Qualifier to try to get her into the Final.

“Oakfield Saturn was never going to be flash when fourth in a 1000m trial (won by last week’s Gosford Qualifier winner Mogul Monarch) at home on March 5.

“But I was really pleased with the manner in which she finished off the last 100m.

“Oakfield Saturn didn’t wear blinkers in the trial, but they go back on her tomorrow.

“She has had a couple of nice gallops since that trial, and is in great order for tomorrow.”

Whilst Oakfield Saturn has drawn worse than midfield, Lane doesn’t see that as a disadvantage in view of this morning’s ‘Heavy 8’ rating.

“I feel the draw will suit, and enable her to get out to the centre of the track in the straight to make her run,” he said.

“The current rating should be fine and even though Oakfield Saturn ran second over 1600m at home on a ‘Heavy 10’ last May, I wouldn’t want to risk flattening her first-up on anything worse than the ‘Heavy 8’.

Anna Roper rode her in that May race, and also when she was subsequently placed at the Scone Cup carnival and more recently in her Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1600m) triumph at the Wyong stand-alone meeting in January.

Lane also is pleased with Oakfield Jupiter’s progress since her Newcastle placing, and will trial her at Randwick on Friday.

“Jason (Collett) will ride her in the trial, and then 15 days later in the Final,” he said.

“He has had valuable experience on the mare, having ridden her in a Randwick trial placing last October, and then won a Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1200m) first-up on her there 18 days later.”

Collett won the inaugural Final on Sure and Fast in 2015, and on Serene Miss in 2018 when the annual series was for eligible provincial-trained horses only.

Lane has done a superb job with the Bruce Mackenzie owned “Oakfield pair”, having collectively won eight races with the “girls” from 17 starts.

OAKFIELD SATURN & ANNA ROPER

Fellow Wyong trainers Tracey Bartley’s Dusty Bay and Kristen Buchanan’s Annie’s Rose, along with Gosford trainer Greg McFarlane’s Orthie’s Boys, all are without riders for the Kembla Grange Qualifier.

However, Dusty Bay also is an acceptor for the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens tomorrow, with Brisbane jockey Ben Thompson booked.

Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle clinched a maiden Group 1 with Private Harry in The Galaxy at Rosehill exactly 12 months ago, and has three runners in a bid to secure one or two representatives in the Final.

He starts Midnight Opal (Mitchell Bell), Mornington Pier (Adam Farragher), and Caltsar (apprentice Shannen Llewellyn).

Caltsar will sport blinkers for the first time.

In early betting, leading Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup’s Hyperbolic (Christian Reith) is the $3.80 favorite ahead of last year’s Final runner-up Lord Of Biscay ($4.40) and fellow Hawkesbury trainer Blake Ryan’s resuming Strawberry Impact ($7.50).

STORY JOHN CURTIS, MARCH 20, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS