Newly crowned Australian Horse Of The Year Lankan Rupee will miss next Saturday’s Group 2 $200,000 Anco Seed & Turf Schillaci Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield because of a hoof injury.
Lankan Rupee will miss the Schillaci Stakes because of a hoof injury. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Trainer Mick Price reported that Lankan Rupee has recovered from a cracked heel and emphasised that the giant sprinter will be fit to run in the Group 1 $1m Sportingbet Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on October 24.
“I wanted to give it a few days without doing too much with it, so (regarding the) Schillaci, I didn’t think I needed to be blasting away at that race, so I’ll just go into the Manikato fresh-up I guess,” Price told Racing.com.
Price had planned to run Lankan Rupee in the Schillaci Stakes as a lead up to the Manikato Stakes after the five year old was beaten for the second time this preparation as the odds on favourite when a head second to Queensland sprinter Buffering in the Group 1 $450,000 City Jeep Moir Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on September 26.
Lankan Rupee was also narrowly beaten first up when second to Angelic Light in the Group 2 $200,000 Mitty’s McEwen Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley three weeks earlier.
Price explained that Lankan Rupee has responded to treatment for the hoof problem and is back trotting and cantering.
“A quartercrack was treated on the inside of his off-front yesterday and horse has responded very well,” Price said.
“It’s been an expert job by my two farriers.
“Quartercracks can become worse if they’re not addressed, so we have done so. He worked this morning, trot and cantered good, the horse is not feeling any discomfort through the foot.
“It’s a quartercrack and you don’t know which way they go, but at this point I’m very happy with what my farriers have done and the horse seems fine.”
Lankan Rupee was crowned the 2013-2014 Australian Horse Of The Year following his rise up the sprinting ranks with six straight wins including three at Group 1 level during the Autumn Carnival.
The Redoute’s Choice five year old started to realise his sprinting potential after being gelded and won three of his four starts in the Spring last year.
Price spelled him after wins at Flemington and Caulfield and Lankan Rupee resumed to blow away his opposition in the Group 2 $175,000 Schweppes Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on February 8.
He then collected the first of his hat trick of Group 1 wins beating Spirit Of Boom in the Group 1 $400,000 Sportingbet Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 22 followed by another win over Spirit Of Boom in the Group 1 $1m Lexus Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 8.
Price then turned his attention to ‘The Championships’ and headed to Sydney where Lankan Rupee scored a two lengths victory in the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 12.
In early betting for the Manikato Stakes with Ladbrokes.com.au, Lankan Rupee in marked at $3.80 with the Joe Pride trained Terravista the favourite at $3.50.
Moir Stakes winner Buffering is next in the market order at $5.50 ahead of Deep Field at $8 and Angelic Light and Overreach both at $11.
