Written by Jesse Dart
Cover image courtesy of Melbourne Racing Club
Going one better than his debut at Seymour, the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Motoman (Super One) broke through at Sandown-Lakeside on Wednesday.
Ridden positively by Damian Lane, the 3-year-old gelding was eyeballed by Pia Mia (Lohnro) at the halfway point of the home straight, before delivering a powerful burst of acceleration to build an unassailable margin in the 1200-metre maiden.
Clinton McDonald’s debutant Acid Wash (American Pharoah {USA}) was able to make good ground late, rattling home to claim second, 0.3l adrift of the winner, but the distance gathered by Lane earlier in the straight made the task of Jordan Childs to great to reel him.
The victory strengthens Lane’s iron grip on the Victorian Metropolitan Jockeys' Premiership, chalking up win number 37 since the season began on August 1. With a margin of 17 to Blake Shinn, who will struggle to make inroads into that margin in the next six weeks due to suspension and riding interstate and in New Zealand, Lane’s lead looks in no immediate danger, a margin he extended in the third race of the meeting aboard Glentaneous (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}).
“He quickened really well on straightening and (then he) quickly had pressure on top of him and he was able to build through his gears and really start to extend nicely and Just felt the pinch late because I absorbed a little bit of pressure early and around the home turn” Lane told Racing.com after returning to scale.
“He’s obviously a horse that’s still learning but one with a bit of a future.
“He travelled really well, I had to ask him to go a little bit from the barriers, but we found a lovely rhythm once we got up front. He’s still a little bit green and looky, (he) had a look at the stewards’ car parked right on the rail parked around the 700 (metre mark).”
Damian Lane | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Motoman is the 147th individual winner for Super One, a son of I Am Invincible who has produced the likes of G2 Karrakatta Plate winner Super Smink and Alpha One, who ran second to Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) in the G3 Vain S. at Caulfield in August 2022.
Out of Sebring mare Sebeauty, Motoman is the first of her foals to make it to the track, giving her a strong start to her producing career.
Sebeauty is a full sister to G3 Birthday Card S. winner Seasons (Sebring), who collected five wins over sprint trips across her career. Her family is also rich across an extended trip, with G1 ATC Derby Winner Quick Thinker (So You Think {NZ}), who also won as a 2-year-old and collected over $1.2 million in prizemoney.
His 2023/24 season has started positively, with 37 winners from 118 runners, placing him just outside the top 50 in the Australian Sires’ Premiership.
Purchased for $80,000 at the 2022 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, the gelding was the first leg of a running double for co-trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, who picked up the second race of the program with Krementz (NZ) (El Roca)
Motoman as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Over at Warwick Farm, Zac Lloyd executed a perfect ride to steer Tamaroa (Spieth {NZ}) home to break his maiden in the third race of the program. The 3-year-old gelding had finished 2.9l off G1 Coolmore Stud S. winner Ozzmosis (Zoustar) at Gosford back in May. He is the 42nd winner for the late Spieth (NZ)
