OAKFIELD PAIR ALIGNING TO BECOME LANE’S STARS

JUPITER and Saturn are the two largest planets in the solar system.

And owner Bruce Mackenzie’s pair of “Oakfield” mares bearing those names fittingly are aligning to become stars for their Wyong trainer Damien Lane.

Only a few days after Oakfield Jupiter, successful at her last two starts in town, came back into work to be set for the Provincial-Midway Championships, Oakfield Saturn was the sole “scorer” for the local team at today’s Wyong Magic Millions meeting.

The four-year-old American Pharoah mare justified her short quote ($1.90 favorite) by clinching her third win from eight starts, in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1600m).

She made light of her 59.5kg topweight in defeating fellow Wyong trainer Kim Waugh’s Squeezebox ($5.50) and Newcastle trainer Paul Perry’s Uncle Harry ($6).

“Oakfield Saturn is a nice mare tall and rangy, but not thickset,” Lane said this evening.

“As a result I have to manage her weight by not over-working her.

“She has a great attitude, and that is going to take her a long way.

“I have always felt she would get better as she got older and also manage up to 2000m.”

However, on winning jockey Jason Collett’s advice, Lane isn’t tempted to stretch her out in distance just yet.

“Jason said afterwards that Oakfield Saturn still had freshness in her legs, and recommended we try to keep her at 1600m for another run,” Lane explained.

“He is a top-class professional, and it would be silly not to take his advice if the programs suit.”

Lane paid tribute to Collett for not only a brilliant ride, but also closely studying Oakfield Jupiter’s previous runs as he had never ridden her previously.

“He told us before the race he wanted to ride her the same way Anna Roper did when she ran a close third at Scone in May at the end of her first racing preparation.

“He was determined to be positive early, didn’t want to get trapped inside other runners in the small field and then when Squeezebox’s rider Jay Ford took off approaching the 800m, that ensured a solidly run affair.

“Oakfield Saturn did a good job to round up Squeezebox in the straight.

“Oakfield Saturn and Oakfield Jupiter are different mares, but they’re the best in my stable and I’m fortunate to have them.”

Oakfield Jupiter, also a four-year-old (by Toronado), has won four of her five starts.

“She had four weeks off after winning a Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens on November 8,” Lane said.

“Oakfield Jupiter came back last Sunday, and looks great.

“Bruce did a good job with her at his property at Salt Ash (outside Newcastle).

“She had three weeks in a paddock, and then a week on the treadmill.”

Lane has mapped out a program to hopefully qualify Oakfield Jupiter for the $1m PMC Final (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 11 during The Championships.

He is looking to kick her off in town in a Benchmark 78 Handicap as she chases a hat-trick en route to a Newcastle Qualifier (1400m) for eligible provincial-trained horses only on February 28.

. Leading Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup was the other provincial winner at Wyong, posting his 26^th winner of the season.

Widdup took Confess Our Dreams ($2.90 favorite) back to the provincial circuit for the first time in more than two years – and she duly saluted.

Ridden by apprentice Siena Grima, Confess Our Dreams won the Provincial Benchmark 68 Handicap (1200m).

After trailing Thankful Heart ($7) into the straight, she took over and looked set to score comfortably.

However, she had just enough in reserve to hold off Newcastle trainer Paul Perry’s Puerto Banus ($11) and Kembla Grange trainer Joe Ible’s Spice Baby ($4,.20).

Confess Our Dreams, a five-year-old daughter of Shalaa, had started 16 times in town (for three wins on the Kensington track, Warwick Farm and Rosehill Gardens) since scoring at Newcastle in October 2023.

“We found a nice race for her, and would have been in trouble if she couldn’t win today,” Widdup said.

“All the same it was a good effort. They went hard and she ran a class record, and obviously Siene’s 3kg claim was a deciding factor.”

STORY JOHN CURTIS, DECEMBER10, 2025 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS