“We wanted to give her a good run just behind the speed and hope that ridden that way she’d show a really good turn of foot. That all came to the fore — she did exactly that.”
From halfway down the famous Flemington straight, Lane felt the race shifting decisively beneath him.
“She was just explosive. She travelled like a winner the whole way.
To be able to execute that was a real thrill. It was a real privilege to be on her back that day.”
The emotion of the moment spilled over after the post — uncharacteristic for the typically composed rider. Lane admitted there was even a split second of concern when Joliestar leapt at a shadow cast across the track beyond the winning line.
But nothing did go wrong. Instead, the win carried deeper significance. The Newmarket Handicap is one of Australia’s most time-honoured sprints, and in 2025 it was run as the Dean Holland Trophy — a tribute that resonated strongly within the jockeys’ room.
“Special race to win,” Lane said. “Being the Dean Holland Trophy as well, it means a lot to the jockeys. Dean’s family was there, his kids were on course — it really hits home the sacrifice jockeys make and the risks they take. To have them there on the day was special.”
In a race that demands both tactical discipline and execution, Lane’s 2025 Newmarket stands as a masterclass — and a moment where precision, power and poignancy combined down the Flemington straight.
