Carrying the familiar profile of a young Australian rider on the rise, jockey Damian Lane seems to have timed his arrival perfectly this weekend with a near-full book of rides.
Lane began riding trackwork on Monday and with jockey numbers weakened by suspensions and mid-season departures, the 21-year-old is already in hot demand, attracting rides in nine of the 10 races for his debut at Sha Tin.
Among the bookings are two key runners for big-money trainer John Moore - Rewarding Hero in the Group Three Premier Plate, and Let Me Go, chasing back-to-back wins in Class Two. "I had always looked forward to one day riding in Hong Kong, so it's amazing to get an opportunity at such a young age," Lane said.
"Seeing Joao Moreira riding slow work put things into perspective for me ... I admit I was a little overawed at first.
"But my rides look great and I'm happy with the response from trainers. Hopefully we get some luck. I've spoken to a few of the guys who have ridden here, like Craig Williams, Dwayne Dunn and Steven King, and everyone has said that if you don't have much success to start with, to just stick it out and let your riding do the talking."
Currently third in the Victorian premiership, Lane has ridden more than 100 winners in each of the past two seasons and turned his back on what could have been a bumper autumn carnival following a maiden Group One victory in last year's Melbourne spring.
The West Australian follows in the footsteps of fellow Antipodeans Tommy Berry and James McDonald, who have made an impact during short stints in recent seasons.
But perhaps it is Tye Angland who forms the best comparison with Lane - having arrived in 2010 as a 21-year-old fresh off some breakthrough Group One success.
Lane had already notched 500 winners before his 21st birthday - more than Angland's 379 when he came to town - and carries some of the same natural horsemanship, having grown up in a racing stable, his parents both holding a trainers' licence.
Angland rode with distinction for the best part of four seasons and ended up cracking the top five in the jockeys' championship, and should things go well, Lane hasn't ruled out moving to Sha Tin on a full-time basis, too.
Jockey Club steward and licensing committee secretary Steve Railton said Lane "has the type of CV we are looking for".
"The licensing committee has made an effort to identify the young up-and-coming jockeys," he said.
