Lane plans a bossy end to Belmont Sprint

Michael Lane would love to sneak another win from his classy mare The Boss Lady at Belmont on Saturday before she goes for a spell and readies for an Ascot carnival at years end.

The Boss Lady opened her campaign in April by winning the Roma Cup (1100m) and will close it out with hopes of victory in a hot edition of the Group 3 Belmont Sprint (1400m).

After her Roma Cup success The Boss Lady ran a more than credible sixth in the Quokka (1200m) before getting a long way out of her ground and running on for fifth behind boom three-year-old West Star in the Group 3 Northam Stakes (1300m).

“I thought it was a good run, maybe a tad disappointing the last 50m,” Lane said on Tabradio.

“But that’s me being too hard on her.

“She probably got too far back out of her ground and the rest is history, really.

“It wasn’t a bad run, it was acceptable.”

West Star again looms as the horse to overcame in the Belmont Sprint, according to Lane and after opening at $3.30 he has tightened into $2.80 and is the clear cut Tabtouch favourite, ahead of Western Empire ($4.80) with The Boss Lady on the third line of betting at $7.50.

“It’s a good field, but West Star was pretty dominant the other day,” Lane said.

“I had never seen the horse before, but he’s a cracking type.

“He’s the one to beat, I suppose.

“It’s a pretty honest field, but we get the barrier in our favour.

“Hopefully we can be in front of them.

“I’m happy with her leading into the race.

“She’ll be thereabouts on Saturday."

With several of the fancied runners drawn wide, The Boss Lady jumps from barrier six.

Shaun McGruddy the new rider with Joe Azzopardi electing to partner Triple Missile.

Meanwhile, earlier in race six, Lane said Six Shooter was a top three chance to follow up from his Pinjarra win three weeks ago.

Julio Santarelli