He is taken time to become the furnished product but promising gelding Jackyy Dee is ready for the next challenge when he steps out at Gosford on Thursday.
The three-year-old is taking time to put it all together but is starting to deliver on his potential which has seen him record a maiden win and an unlucky second from his last two starts.
Lane heads to Gosford quietly confident the gelding can continue his good form and figure prominently in the Midway Class 1 over 1000m.
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Jackyy Dee is starting to deliver on his potential and is ready for his test at Gosford on Thursday. Picture: Bradley Photos
“He’s a bit of a work in progress still this horse but he has come a long way,” said Lane
“He was pretty hard work early days be he is definitely improving.
“He is a horse we bred ourselves so it’s good to see him finally start to reap the rewards.
“We raced his mother, The Brown One, and she was a good mare. We got a cheap service fee to Pluck and he is the result.
“I wouldn’t say he is there yet, but he is heading in the right direction.
“He will have a few more runs this preparation before going for a break and he will be better again next time in.”
Jackyy Dee broke through for his maiden win at Narromine when he tracked the leader before coming down the middle of the track and despite hanging out, scored by a half-length from Vanoureuce.
He then went to Taree on May 22 where he again sat behind the leader but he only got clear well into the straight and was just caught by Maasai Mara.
“He was a bit unlucky at Taree last start. He just needed to get the run a touch earlier than he got it,” Lane said.
“This is a step up from the country races he has been contesting but I think he deserves his chance in this race.”
Lane’s second runner for the day is Oakfield King in the Maiden Plate over 1200m.
The gelding has been a distant last in both runs to date but Lane put that down to a throat problem and expects the gelding to make a marked improvement when he resumes from a long break on Thursday.
Princess Amira (inside) is a good each-way chance according to trainer Damien Lane. Picture: Bradley Photos
Following a through operation, the gelding gave a glimpse of his talent with a smart trial win at Gosford on May 26.
“He always had a throat issue and while he would trial alright while he was kept on the bridle, when the pressure went on in a race, he just couldn’t handle it,” he said.
“He had a throat operation since his last start and trialled quite nicely the other day.
“He’s shown there is ability there, it’s just a matter of taking it to the races now. We will definitely know more after Thursday.”
Lane’s final runner for the day is handy mare Princess Amira who is ready to bounce back from her last start eighth at Wyong when she contests the Benchmark 64 over 1200m.
Prior to that Wyong run, the daughter of Written Tycoon kicked off her campaign with a narrow win at Wyong on April 6 before a handy fourth behind Dame Cartland At Newcastle on April 29.
“She won well first-up and ran well second-up but was a bit plain at Wyong last start,” said Lane
“We just gave her a bit of a freshen-up and she spent some time up at the water-walker.
“With mares, you just have to keep them happy and they tend to race well so we have done that.
“She’s got good ability and I think this looks a nice race for her.
“I think she is a good each-way hope.”
DELPHIN HAS EMPEROR READY TO RULE AT COROWA
Boutique trainer Debbie Delphin only has six horses in work but can land a winning double when she heads along the Murray River from her Wodonga base.
Delphin was tickled pink with Emperor Of France when the gelding closed off strongly to finish second on his home track 12 days ago.
The four-year-old was five weeks between runs after suffering a hoof abscess and was dropping back from his seventh over 2050m at Wodonga to 1400m.
He will appreciate stepping up to 1600m in the Class 2 event this week – a race Delphin has targeted with the gelding.
Emperor Of France can land his first win for new trainer Debbie Delphin at Corowa on Thursday. Picture: Getty Images
“The whole purpose of giving him that run at Wodonga was to get him ready for this race.
“To come out and run second was a bonus considering he was coming off five weeks between runs and no one really gave him a chance.
“He was due to have a run at Wagga in early May but he ended up with a foot abscess on the morning of the race and I had to scratch him.
“He was able to get over it fairly quickly and he is the type of horse that doesn’t need much work so it didn’t have a huge impact on him.”
The likelihood of quite a wet track doesn’t bother Delphin despite Emperor Of France having never raced on heavy ground.
“I’m not too worried by the wet track. He is such a relaxed horse, he just goes to sleep out the back, the jockey gives him a click up and away he goes,” she said.
Stablemate Defence Force might have a seventh next to his name but he should have gone close to winning when resuming at Albury two weeks ago according to Delphin.
He is a chance to atone in the final event, the Benchmark 66 over 1200m.
“At the top of the straight at Albury, I thought he was home but Shirley (Hunter) just had a little bit of an interruption and by the time she could let him go, the race was all over,” she said.
“He wasn’t beaten far and personally, I thought it was a great run.
“He has drawn well and if he can get the luck go his way, I think he will be very competitive.”