Damien Lane has ridden the Chris Waller-trained Private Life to victory in a thrilling 2024 Caulfield Guineas.
Private Life led from the jump but left himself some work to do in the last 400 after coming back to the field, before storming home to edge Feroce by a nose at the line.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Private Life wins the Caulfield Guineas.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today 
The $13.40 chance rode the fence in perfect position for almost the entire race in what was a picture perfect ride from Lane.
Evaporate was third behind Feroce, while raging $1.80 favourite Broadsiding left himself too much to do around the outside on the home straight, finishing fourth with superstar jockey James McDonald aboard.
“There’s some irony in this, isn’t there? Because James McDonald’s had his previous win with The Autumn Sun, the second of his three wins with Chris Waller, and he’s been so dominant with Chris,” Bruce McAvaney said.
“That was a fantastic ride by Damien Lane, you just have to be on the pace today, you have to be there.
“Feroce almost pulled off another gigantic upset, and Broadsiding, try as he may, has battled on into fourth place.
“He’s a beautiful colt, and Waller’s a genius, and Damien Lane’s an outstanding jockey.”
Champion jockey McDonald was chasing what is proving an elusive 100th Group 1 success aboard Broadsiding and Waller, who has provided McDonald with more elite-level wins – 36 – than any other trainer, was happy to spoil the party with his lone runner in the race.
“We were quietly confident, obviously Broadsiding is a very good horse and we missed out on James McDonald but we picked up a pretty good rider,” Waller, who has now prepared 167 Group 1 winners, said.
“James, if he could ride two horses in the race he would, but he said, ‘I’ve got to ride this horse, he’s been so good to me’ and I said, ‘no, that’s fine’.
“I said to Tom Magnier from Coolmore, ‘don’t worry, we’ve still got a good chance even though James is not riding. Picking up Damian Lane is a big plus.”
Private Life, a son of Written Tycoon and Group 1 placegetter Aliyana Tilde who cost $650,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale, lasted to score by a short-head from Feroce, who narrowly missed out on providing trainer Dom Sutton with Guineas victory at his first Group 1 starter.
Completing the trifecta was $17 chance Evaporate, who finished three-quarters-of-a-length from Feroce.
Lane, who celebrated his first Guineas victory aboard Private Life, said he went in with a positive mindset despite the presence of Broadsiding.
“Every horse is beatable, so you just have to go out with a mindset of riding your horse the best you can, that’s all you can do,” he said.
“You can only paddle your own canoe and let the rest look after themselves.”
Broadsiding’s defeat snapped a run of five-straight wins and while trainer James Cummings was disappointed with the defeat he was not unhappy with the colt’s effort from the second half of the field on a day that horses struggled to make ground.
“I’d say that’s Broadsiding has run well and the winner was good on the day,” Cummings said.
“There was a lack of tempo and when he pulled him into the clear he gave a good boot, but it was just very difficult to make an impression given the way the race was run, so he (McDonald) was nevertheless very pleased with the horse’s run.”
– With Racing Newswire