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The Australian will ride the champion juvenile and likely favorite Cavallerizzo in this weekend's Satsuki Sho, proof that he's long since left the 'newcomer' tag behind.
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Damian Lane arrived in Tokyo this week and after seven years of flying in for short-term licenses to ride the Japan Racing Association (JRA) circuit, it now all feels "very natural" to the Australian.
"I feel very comfortable here," he told Idol Horse. "I know a lot of the trainers, I know the jockeys and maybe I am perceived as a bit better than a total newcomer. I have done a few stints now."
Lane's current license runs for two months, through the G1 Takarazuka Kinen on June 14, and he has certainly advanced well beyond the "newcomer" status he had when he first arrived, fresh-faced and a little uncertain about what to expect, back in April 2019.
On Sunday he will ride last season's top juvenile, Cavallerizzo, the likely favorite for the first colts' classic, the G1 Satsuki Sho, Japan's 2,000 Guineas. That kind of booking puts Lane in the top tier of outside jockeys the JRA allows in for short spells, up there in the same sphere as the likes of Joao Moreira and Ryan Moore.
It's not surprising, given the success he has had in Japan and for Japanese connections: his offshore Group 1 wins for "team Japan" include the Caulfield Cup on Mer De Glace, the Cox Plate with Lys Gracieux, Win Marilyn's Hong Kong Vase and Tastiera's QEII Cup; his majors in Japan include, among others, Tastiera's Derby and the two big Grand Prix contests, the Takarazuka Kinen and the Arima Kinen, with Lys Gracieux.
His numbers are impressive, too. Lane's first stint produced 37 wins from 124 rides at a rate of almost 30 percent; he has continued in that vein and now has a running tally of 186 JRA wins at a strike rate of almost 25 percent.
He is aiming to enhance his record aboard Silk Racing Club's Cavallerizzo, last year's G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes winner. But the colt must defy the statistics showing that the Futurity Stakes-Satsuki Sho double is not a common occurrence, and the last to achieve it was Logotype 13 years ago.
"He's good at a mile," Lane said of his mount. "The 2000 meters is going to be a bit of a test for him, but I liked the way he went about his runs so far and I am looking forward to getting on him."
The Satsuki Sho will no doubt determine whether Cavallerizzo will proceed to the Derby, the G1 Tokyo Yushun, with Lane in the saddle. The 'Guineas' field is full of untapped potential though, all jostling for their place in the three-year-old pecking order.
Lovcen won the JRA's other juvenile Group 1 open to colts, the Hopeful Stakes, so is already proven at the 2000m trip, whereas Cavallerizzo has not gone beyond a mile and is heading into Sunday without a prep race.
Lovcen was third in the G2 Kyodo Daily News Hai in mid-February, behind the talented Satsuki Sho candidate Realize Sirius, and is vying for second-favoritism with Green Energy, winner of the G3 Keisei Hai in late January.
Then there's another Silk Racing candidate, Yuga Kawada's mount Basse Terre, winner of the G2 Deep Impact Kinen recently; and the third from that race, the G2 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai winner Admire Quads, who was also third behind Cavallerizzo in the Asahi Hai Futurity.
Perhaps most intriguing of all is the horse champion jockey Christophe Lemaire will side with, Peintre Naif. The colt must defy a long absence, having not raced since November when he won the Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai, due to a minor injury forcing him to miss his planned prep race last month.
Lane himself opted to take time out of the Melbourne season back in December and didn't ride between the sixth of that month and January 10. The former Melbourne champion is still high in the metro premiership standings, though, ranking fourth at the time of his departure with 33 wins, seven behind the leader Craig Williams, another rider with winning links to Japan.
But Lane, though looking forward to getting his latest Japan stint going, is typically level-headed about his work. He is not assuming past glories mean guaranteed future triumphs.
"I just hope to get on some nice horses and ride some winners," he said. "I usually get some good support and early signs are that I will get good support again, so hopefully I can get some opportunities."
This week in horse racing history
Nice Nature was born on April 16, 1988. The son of Nice Dancer won seven of 44 starts but gained popularity as a regular at the top level, contesting 34 Group races including 16 Group 1s. He was third in the G1 Arima Kinen three years in a row, and three of his wins were at G2, including the Takamatsunomiya Hai. In retirement he gained a cult following after he was featured as a 'horse girl' character in the Umamusume: Pretty Derby franchise, and also due to his old age. Umamusume fans started a Nice Nature birthday donation, which has raised millions of yen each year for horse welfare and has continued since his death at age 35 in May 2023.
This week in 1995, April 16, Kent Desormeaux, at age 25, became the youngest jockey to Win 3,000 races when he scored aboard Maisonaire at Santa Anita.
It was on April 18, 1991 that Julie Cecil, daughter of the great trainer Sir Noel Murless and ex-wife of another legendary trainer Henry Cecil, had her first winner as a trainer when the Lester Piggott-ridden Golan Heights won the Remy Martin VSOP Cognac Handicap at Newmarket.
On April 19, 1969, Suffolk Downs put on a US$10,000 race exclusively for female jockeys. The race, the Lady Godiva Handicap, was won by Penny Ann Early, who in 1968 had been denied her first race ride when the male jockeys at Churchill Downs boycotted in protest at having a woman compete in a race. The Suffolk Downs race was Early's first win.
Reads of the week
In this week's Idol Thoughts column, Shane Dye explains the importance of the Class 5 winner when it comes to securing a trainer's championship in Hong Kong and gives his take on which trainers are likely to be fighting it out at the final meeting, who will struggle to keep pace and why.
Adam Pengilly was at Randwick last Saturday to witness the defeat of the latest super filly Autumn Glow, and to tell the tale of how Sir Owen Glen's horse Sir Delius vindicated his owner and showed he's the best 2000m horse in Australia.
This weekend's G2 Oaklawn Handicap at Oaklawn Park, Arkansas brings together two of last year's Triple Crown heroes and rivals, the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes victor Sovereignty and the Preakness Stakes winner Journalism. That being so, here's one from the archive when Umberto Rispoli spoke exclusively to David Morgan about losing the Journalism ride to Jose Ortiz and how the thing that hurts most with a horse like that, is losing your place in the story.
Racing pic of the week
@coswo_uma
Win Carnellian carried the 16 saddle cloth when he gave Kosei Miura his biggest win in the G1 Sprinters Stakes last October, and the jockey was wearing the 16 jersey when he stepped up to the mound and threw the first pitch in the Chiba Lotte Marines versus Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters baseball game at Marine stadium this week.
Global blackbook
Juryoku Pierrot emerged as an unexpected candidate for Oaks honors in next month's G1 Yushun Himba with an impressive win in the Listed Wasurenagusa Sho at Hanshin. That seemed most unlikely when last year closed out, with the filly having competed three times on the dirt for a debut win and two seventh placings, including in a Grade 3 at the NAR's Monbetsu racecourse.
This year, she is two from two on turf and seems to be heading toward the top level. The daughter of the enigmatic but brilliant champion Orfevre has inherited her father's chestnut coloring, seemingly a dose of his talent, too, and perhaps a hint of his character, as she broke from gate 14 with sweat frothing behind the saddle.
Seina Imamura took the filly - an 18.9 chance - to the tail from the widest berth of 14 and there the pair settled, a dozen lengths off the lead, until the jockey advanced her mount five-wide on the turn. Juryoku Pierrot moved forward strongly despite running the extra ground, and took the lead early in the straight. The race was as good as over at that point as the Ryo Terashima-trained three-year-old galloped away from her rivals and when she passed the winning post two and a half lengths clear - her ears flicking - Imamura was already letting her gear down.
No Japanese woman has ever won a Classic race but Imamura looks like she's in with a shot at changing history if Juryoku Pierrot can maintain the unexpected progression that has now seen her win three of five starts.
【忘れな草賞（L）】#今村聖奈 騎手騎乗の #ジュウリョクピエロ が道中最後方から他馬抜き去り勝利👑
— JRA公式 (@JRA_Special) April 12, 2026
オークスへ繋がる一戦を制しました🎉 pic.twitter.com/TJWqRyIddX
What's Coming Up?
All Aged Stakes Day
Randwick, Australia, April 18
The All Aged Stakes could see the past three winners clash in the 1400m feature, with Giga Kick (2023), Magic Time (2024) and Jimmysstar (2025) all slated for Randwick on Saturday. Giga Kick and Jimmysstar both finished behind the victorious Joliestar in the G1 T J Smith Stakes last start. Yulong's heroine Magic Time could be having her final race. There's added interest with the G1 Melbourne Cup and G1 Caulfield Cup hero Half Yours also engaged.
Champions Day
Sha Tin, Hong Kong, April 25
The defection of G1 Arima Kinen hero Museum Mile from the G1 QEII Cup takes away a hint of gloss but this year's Champions Day still promises to be just about the best there has been. The world's best sprinter Ka Ying Rising will go for a 20th straight win in the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize against Japan's champion Satono Reve and the UAE star Native Approach. Meanwhile, Japan's champion miler Jantar Mantar will take on last year's winner Voyage Bubble as well as Hong Kong Derby winner Invincible Ibis in the the G1 Champions Mile. And the QE II Cup still promises to be a cracker with another Japanese star, the G1 Tenno Sho Autumn victor Masquerade Ball, taking on local champion Romantic Warrior who is chasing a fourth win in the race.
South Australian Derby Day
Morphettville, Australia, May 2
The South Australian Derby is a 2500m contest with a long history going back to 1860. Having said that, it is one of Australia's lesser Group 1 contests, albeit a big occasion in South Australia. Among recent winners, Russian Camelot progressed from his 2020 win to take the following season's G1 Underwood Stakes at Caulfield, while the 2009 winner Rebel Raider had already won the G1 Victoria Derby and went on to win the G1 Spring Stakes.
2,000 Guineas Day
Newmarket, England, May 2
The 2,000 Guineas is the first of the English classics and is run on the straight Rowley Mile at Newmarket. It has been won by many of the sport's great horses, notably two of the absolute best, Brigadier Gerard and Frankel. This year's race could feature antepost favorite Bow Echo, winner of the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes last year.
1,000 Guineas Day
Newmarket, England, May 3
Precise's wins in the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and the G1 Fillies Mile last season put her at the head of considerations for the first fillies' classic in Britain. But close up in the antepost betting are her Aidan O'Brien-trained stablemates, the unbeaten G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Diamond Necklace and the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes winner True Love. The last-named has stepped out already, winning the G3 Priory Belle Stakes at Leopardstown last weekend. The chief English hope appears to be the Karl Burke-trained Venetian Sun, winner of the G1 Prix Morny last year. But an unexpected longshot threw her hat into the ring this week when Azleet overcame a slow start and trouble in running to win Newmarket's G3 Nell Gwynn Stakes at odds of 50-1.
