Bunbury jockey Damian Lane wins the WA Guineas

The day started poorly for Lane who got off the plane from Melbourne to find out his ride in the Group 1 Railway Stakes, Rageese, had been scratched after developing a hoof abscesses. 

The Darren Weir trained four-year-old had been looking the goods in training earlier in the week but was found to be lame early Saturday morning. 

Lane made his way to the track regardless to ride Variation in the 1600 metre Guineas. 

Bouncing well in the field of 16, Lane settled Variation in sixth and held the rail in seventh at the 800 metre mark. 

Lane still sat seventh before the turn and was shuffled off the fence on the point of the bend to sit behind Whispering Brook. 

Ducking back in towards the rail, Variation got a split between Whispering Brook and Lusaha and kicked clear with 100 metres to run. 

Pre-race favourite Ellicazoom flew home in the final 50 metres but Lane hung on to win by a half length at the price of $22.40. 

Trainer Stephen Miller said it was incredible to win the race. 

“He came through his preparation well and everything went to plan,” he said.  

“We didn’t know if we were up to the class but we had to have a crack and it was just tremendous. 

“I couldn’t win one of these myself [as a jockey] but it’s great to train one.”

Co-owner Geoff Wilson said winning the Guineas was a huge thrill. 

“This is something you can only dream of,” he said. 

“We came here thinking we might have been a rough chance and he had a good preparation into that race but it was a strong field with the best three-year-olds going around.”

Variation, a three-year-old bay gelding, has now had seven starts for three wins, one second and three thirds. 

Lane, who now lives in Melbourne but occasionally returns to Western Australia to ride for his trainer-father Michael, finished seventh in last month’s Melbourne Cup aboard Beautiful Romance.  

The $1 million Group One Railway Stakes was won by Scales of Justice ($8.30) and jockey Douglas Whyte ahead of Good Project and Perfect Reflection.