Outstanding sprinter Lankan Rupee returned to his best with an outstanding performance in the 2015 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington this afternoon.
Lankan Rupee produced a simply outstanding performance to win the 2015 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington this afternoon. Photo by: Sarah Ebbett
Jockey Craig Newitt opted to settle Lankan Rupee behind Deep Field in the early stages of the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes and Fab Fevola took up the running on the other side of the track, while Craig Williams settled Brazen Beau closer to the speed than expected.
James Winks let Deep Field off the bridle at the 350 metre mark and he looked to respond well, but Lankan Rupee exploded when asked for an extra effort by Newitt to run away from his rivals and record a dominant, while Brazen Beau also hit the line strongly to finish third.
Trainer Mick Price was thrilled to see Lankan Rupee return to winning form in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes and he said that he was glad that Newitt’s decision to follow Deep Field in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes as well as the decision to attempt to teach Lankan Rupee to settle in the early stages of his races had paid off.
“It was a beautiful ride from Froggy, he wanted to tag Deep Field if he could and it worked out really well for him,” Price said.
“I thought that Brazen Beau might be the blowout horse and I thought that we had the race worked out ok, but sometimes in a two-horse race you think that Deep Field is the one of cause and he ran fantastic and will improve from that.
“Sometimes you get the blowout horses in these races in the small fields, but the race was run properly and truly and the race was won by the best horse.
“It was great to watch.
“We have learnt few of a couple of those races where the sectionals were no good for us and the thing is when you are tackling Terravista and Chautauqua to be the bunny against those horses is not good.
“We will see how the Newmarket is run and take them on.”
Lankan Rupee is set to defend his title in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 14 before returning to Sydney for the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on April 4.
Deep Field was extremely well-backed in the lead-up to the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, but was unable to go with Lankan Rupee when the whips were cracking and co-trainer John Hawkes said after the race that there were no excuses for the previously undefeated sprinter.
“He simply wasn’t good enough, the winner was too good,” Hawkes said.
“We’ll wait for another day.”
Lankan Rupee and Brazen Beau are set to clash again in the Newmarket Handicap and will be joined in the race by Darley Classic winner Terravista and Rubiton Stakes winner Chautauqua.
