Sydney colt Sixties took advantage of Saturday’s $200,000 C S Hayes Stakes at Flemington to showcase his credentials for the Australian Guineas, rounding out a memorable day for top jockey Damian Lane.
The Chris Waller-trained colt showed he was superior to his competitors in the 1400-metre Group 3, managing a tough trip sitting three-wide with no cover the entire race to secure consecutive victories after his initial comeback success in limited company at Rosehill on January 31.
The success arrived just 40 minutes following Lane’s outstanding triumph on Tentyris in the feature race of the day, the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning, and he had also claimed Listed races earlier with Hard Kick and Sass Appeal.
“It’s a good time to be coming right,” Lane said.
“There’s a lot of hard work behind the scenes. I have to thank my family, (wife) Bonnie and (son) Charlie, they’re a big support at home.
My manager Dean Hawkes, he does a good job of organising rides and the rest of it comes down to grafting really, working hard to find the opportunities to be in the right spot at the right time.”
In spite of the expansive journey, Sixties ($1.60 fav) crossed the finish line with 1-1/4 lengths margin over Asakura ($5.50), while the $31 outsider Beyond Question finished 1-1/2 lengths further behind in third.
A son of Flying Artie and full brother to Artorius, Sixties is now the $3.50 second pick behind Observer ($2.50) in wagering for the Australian Guineas, the 1600m Group 1 at Flemington on February 28, with Lane indicating he’d be taken aback if the colt didn’t handle it considering numerous rivals from the C S Hayes Stakes are targeting it too.
“He had lengths on them (today), full credit to him. He’s a lovely animal,” Lane said.
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Lane wasn’t the sole jockey enjoying multiple successes that day, as emerging talent Luke Cartwright notched an early treble with wins on Tarvue and Perilous Fighter.
The post Sixties completes Damian Lane’s quartet first appeared on Just Horse Racing.