Tag: Lankan Rupee

Darley Classic Preview

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The $1million Darley Classic looks the pick of the weekend action at the Spring Carnival with a fascinating clash of some of the top sprinters in the world.

The International flavour is due to the surprise raid by Ireland’s Slade Power, officially the top six-furlong  sprinter in Europe. There has been quite an agitated debate going on over the past week about the loading procedure for this race and whether or not Slade Power should be allowed to go in last.

The Australian authorities have stuck rigidly by the book and insisted that no special allowances can be made. At one point it seemed that the horse may even be withdrawn but some sort of compromise appears to have been reached. Neither side has admitted to backing down so let’s hope that it goes smoothly. Slade Power can get upset in the stalls and is usually loaded last in Europe.

Assuming he gets out of the gates without a problem, he then has to face a turning track and some of the fastest horses on the planet. The bookmakers in the UK have him at around 4-1 while he is almost twice those odds in Australia. I fear that the Australian odds may be closer the mark as he has some seriously good horses in opposition.

Lankan Rupee had to overcome a wide draw to win the Manikato Stakes last time, holding off the chasing pack in a bunch finish. Buffering had previously beaten Lankan Rupee but the places were reversed here using some bold early tactics to get across to the lead. The unluckiest horse of all appeared to be Rebel Dane who flew home in fourth, the second time running that he has finished fast but to no avail. Craig Williams will be hoping it is third time lucky but don’t expect to see him until very late on.

Lankan Rupee was restoring his reputation as the world’s leading sprinter in the Manikato Stakes but he faces a new challenger in the flying grey Chautauqua. This horse has been prepared by Team Hawkes and looked a superstar in the making when bolting up by four lengths in the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes. It is difficult to know how that form matches up to the Manikato but he was on a tight rein with two furlongs to run and that is a rare sight in a six-furlong sprint at Group  level.

Chautauqua @6-4 Sportsbet

Rebel Dane @20-1 Sportsbet (each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3)

Lankan Rupee wins dramatic Manikato Stakes

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The prelude to the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on Saturday did not disappoint as Lankan Rupee re-instated his name at the top of the world’s sprinters.

Officially rated the best in the world at the start of the season, Lankan Rupee had suffered two shock defeats going into this race. He was beaten by Angelic Light in the McEwen Stakes before being denied by the front-running Buffering in the Moir Stakes.

Connections had insisted that the horse was approaching his best for this race but a wide draw in barrier nine presented jockey Craig Newitt with a dilemma. Should he sit in behind and hope for the gaps to appear or take the bull by the horns and go from the gate. He chose the latter and blasted from the stalls before crossing over in front of old rival Buffering.

He held off the chasing pack in a dramatic finish which saw eight horses covered by barely half a length. Buffering had tried to get to him by never looked likely to do so while Angelic Light got within a short-head at the finishing line. Famous Seamus was just a nose away in third spot with the luckless Rebel Dane fourth and Terravista fifth.

Lankan Rupee then had to survive a dual protest before connections could claim the $1 million prize. Angelic Light’s jockey Damien Oliver and Famous Seamus’ rider Tim Clark both objected on the ground that Lankan Rupee had caused severe interference only 100m from the start. Oliver told the stewards that his mount was nearly brought down while Buffering was also seriously hampered on his inside.

Lankan Rupee has now earned more than $3 million and is set to clash with the likes of Earthquake, Rubick and Chautauqua in the Darley Sprint at Flemington next month. That race is also the target of Europe’s leading sprinter Slade Power, owned by bookmaker Paddy Power.

The five-year-old disappointed on his only previous start outside Europe when only tenth in the Hong Kong Sprint last year. He has won all three starts since culminating in the July Cup at Newmarket. He has shown his flexibility by winning on a variety of different tracks and going but it is an ambitious raid by Ed Lynam’s five-year-old. No doubt the connections of all of those packed in behind Lankan Rupee will also fancy at a crack at the champion sprinter next month.

Sportsbet quote Lankan Rupee at 5.50, the same price as Slade Power, with Chautauqua the clear favourite at 2.80.

Manikato Stakes Preview

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As well as the Cox Plate, Moonee Valley also stages the $1million Manikato Stakes this weekend with twelve horses set to go to post on Friday evening. The race looks like a virtual re-run of the Moir Stakes with the first four home back in action.

The seven-year-old Buffering beat Lankan Rupee by a short-head with Rebel Dane the same distance away in third. Angelic Light was just three-quarters of a length away in fourth in a blanket finish.

Trainer Robert Heathcote expressed his satisfaction at the draw on Tuesday with Buffering in barrier four while his main market rivals are on his outside. Lankan Rupee will break from barrier nine with Terravista in seven. Terravista was a comfortable two length winner of the Group 2 The Shorts  last time out but is taking a rise in class. He also came from off the pace last time so it will be interesting to see if he can get to a fast-starter like Buffering.

The bookmakers surprisingly make Terravista the early favourite with Lankan Rupee also preferred to Buffering in the early exchanges. Lankan Rupee was heralded as the next big Aussie superstar after winning three Group 1 races on the bounce. He beat Rebel Dane and Buffering with some ease in the TJ Smith Stakes but has struggled to recapture that form.

He was a 1-5 favourite on his return from a lengthy absence when beaten by Angelic Light here in September. That defeat was blamed on being a little ring-rusty and he was confidently expected to atone last time. Craig Newitt appeared comfortable tracking Buffering into the home turn, taking a peek to his outside to see where any possible danger might come from. Once let down, he did not find the acceleration that had been expected and it was Rebel Dane that finished the stronger in third.

Connections were boosted by a brilliant track gallop at Caulfield on Saturday morning but a wide draw must be a concern. He broke from Buffering’s inside last time but allowed the winner to take the lead. Heathcote does not believe that even Lankan Rupee has the pace to cross Buffering but Newitt will be under pressure to play his cards earlier this time. Rebel Dane must again have solid place claims but he does not get his head in front very often these days. He is drawn alongside Buffering and Craig Williams will try not to give him too much rope.

Buffering @6.00 Sportsbet*

*Sportsbet Special Offer – stakes refunded on your first bet on Manikato Stakes if your horse finishes second (up to $100)

Moir Stakes Preview

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Lankan Rupee bids to restore his tarnished reputation in the Group 1 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley following his shock defeat in the McEwen Stakes.

His conqueror Angelic Light is among just four rivals for the 1400m event with Lankan Rupee a long odds-on favourite to gain his revenge. The son of Redoubte’s Choice remains the highest rated sprinter in the world and some impressive track work earlier in the week has convinced connections that he is ready to return to winning ways.

Mick Price’s stable star was suffering only the second defeat in seven career starts in the McEwen Stakes. There were slight concerns about the gelding’s fitness before the race and it may be that he was simply a gallop short. Price was delighted with his work on Monday morning when easing clear of stable companion Lion Of Belfort over 1000m.

Lankan Rupee’s victories in the Oakleigh Plate, Newmarket Handicap and TJ Smith Stakes completed a Group 1 hat-trick and elevated him to the top of the sprinting tree. Jockey Craig Newitt has been in the saddle for all bar one of his races and rode Samaready to win this race a year ago for the same trainer.

Robbie Griffiths produced Angelic Light for a 20-1 shock but the five-year-old mare will surely struggle to confirm the form over the longer distance against a race-fit favourite. Buffering won the Moir in 2012 and finished runner-up last season. Robert Heathcote’s gelding has not won since November but was only two lengths adrift of Lankan Rupee in the TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick in heavy ground. This will be his first run since May when third in the Doomben 10,000.

Rebel Dane also has a Group 1 to his name having claimed the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes last year. He has ground to make up on both Lankan Rupee and Buffering on form and a place looks the best Craig Williams can hope for here.

There is no value to be had by betting on Lankan Rupee but Sunday’s Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield looks far more open. Peter Moody’s Dissident tops the market after back-to-back Group 1 victories. He looks to have secured a perfect pitch in barrier five for Luke Nolen.

The big danger could be Sweet Idea who swerved a clash with Lankan Rupee in the Moir Stakes for Gai Waterhouse. She was beaten by Dissident and there seems no obvious reason why she should gain her revenge here. Surprisingly, the two are very closely matched in the betting and Dissident offers much the better value.

Dissident – Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes @7.0 Sportsbet

McEwen Stakes Preview

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Lankan Rupee may not yet have the cult status of Black Caviar but he is currently rated the best sprinter in the world. The Usain Bolt of the equine world makes his seasonal debut at Moonee Valley on Saturday in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes and is hot favourite to return with a win.

The gelding by Redoute’s Choice won three Group 1 races last season to rise to the top of the sprinting pile. Despite the best efforts of Royal Ascot, connections could not be tempted to travel to the UK in a bid to emulate the great mare in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes but who knows what may lie ahead of him this season.

Trainer Mick Price gave the go-ahead for him to run after working with Lion Of Belfort over 800m on Tuesday. Jockey Craig Newitt was very impressed and Price admitted it would be a major blow to him if his stable star were beaten on Saturday. His Group 1 hat-trick came in the Oakleigh Plate, the Newmarket Handicap and the TJ Smiths Stakes.

He overcame bad ground to beat Rebel Dane by two lengths in the TJ Smiths but his performance in the Newmarket Handicap had already convinced the experts that he was the real deal.

The horse that is being spoken of as a possible giant killer is the filly Eloping. She produced an exceptional piece of track work on the same day as Lankan Rupee, recording a faster final 400m in the process. Trainer Peter Morgan is hoping that the 8.5kg weight allowance and the fact that the favourite is yet to race this season could lead to a shock win for his filly. Eloping has not run since finishing fourth to Brazed Beau in the Group 2 Champagne Classic at Doomben in May. The plan is for Eloping to blaze the trail and see if the favourite can reel her in.

The pick of the remainder may be Unpretentious who was third in the William Reid Stakes. Godolphin are represented by the Exceed And Excel colt Orujo. Peter Moody’s Angel Beach and the Robbie Griffiths-trained Angelic Light finished second and third in a Listed race here recently and re-oppose but the form does not look good enough.

If all goes to plan, Lankan Rupee should pick up the front-running filly with a furlong to run and stamp his authority on the race.

Lankan Rupee @SP Paddy Power