Feiern Kranz books potential Caulfield Cup path with Meguro Kinen win

Damian Lane may have secured himself a possible Caulfield Cup mount after partnering Feiern Kranz to victory in Sunday’s Group 2 Meguro Kinen (2500m) at Tokyo Racecourse.

The Meguro Kinen carries a ballot exemption for the Caulfield Cup, guaranteeing the winner a place in the 2400m handicap at Caulfield in October should connections elect to travel to Australia.

The son of Duramente enjoyed a smooth run in the first half of the field as a moderate tempo unfolded, with Lane able to conserve energy before angling into clear running in the straight.

After waiting patiently for a gap to emerge three off the fence, Lane drove Feiern Kranz through the opening and the four-year-old surged to the lead inside the final 200 metres before holding off race favourite Victor Verus by a neck.

The victory continued a productive Japanese campaign for Lane, who earlier this month won the Group 1 NHK Mile Cup aboard Rodeo Drive and has previously captured some of the country’s biggest races, including the Arima Kinen, Takarazuka Kinen, Victoria Mile and Teio Sho.

Lane is no stranger to success with Japanese stayers in Australia, having guided Mer De Glace to victory in the 2019 Caulfield Cup before partnering Lys Gracieux to a dominant Cox Plate triumph later that spring.

The Meguro Kinen has a history of producing Melbourne spring contenders, with former winners including Melbourne Cup runner-up Pop Rock and Cups campaigner Fame Game, while Lane’s latest success was his third in the race following victories aboard Look Twice in 2019 and Heat On Beat in 2023.