Lane sends strong team to ‘Randwick of the West’

A leading provincial stable is set to launch an unlikely assault in north-western NSW when it makes the near six-hour journey to Monday’s meeting at Warren.

Never before has the Damien Lane stable at Wyong on the Central Coast arrived at virtually the halfway point from the east coast to outback Broken Hill with such an encouraging team.

In fact, Warren has emerged as a wide-open and vital meeting for several stables, doubling as a catch-up plan after many programs were washed out over the past week.

It’s seen prominent country stables as far away as Bathurst and even Goulburn, accepted at the spacious “Randwick of the West” for an eight-race card likely to be run on an improving soft 6.

And the Lane stable is out to hit the ground running across the early maiden sprints.

He resumes promising filly Star Of Indigo for only her second start in a Maiden Plate over 1000m behind a strong trial at Newcastle’s Beaumont course.

And drawn right alongside is another first-up stablemate, four-year-old mare Oakfield Mars, which hasn’t publicly trialled.

Then in a Maiden Handicap over 1200m, the Lane stable has tough three-year-old Harvey’s Turn trying to break through at his third start.

Another intriguing stable acceptor is the Danny Williams camp from Goulburn, another near six-hour journey.

Williams has a trio of strong chances, three-year-old Glenn’s Legacy second-up in that maiden against Harvey’s Turn, before Winning Emotions also second-up and London Boy fourth-up, tackle separate Benchmark 58 Handicaps over 1200m.

But by far the biggest team heading to Warren belongs to prominent Gulgong trainer Brett Thompson, with a staggering and record 18 accepted for a midweek meeting away from home.

Dubbo’s Brett Robb has accepted with 10 runners, while Scone’s Rodney Northam has engaged six as stables from all points of the turf compass head to Australia’s cotton capital.