The win by Snitzerland in last Saturday’s Black Caviar Lightning has boosted the confidence of trainer Mick Price as he heads to Group 1 $400,000 Sportingbet Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday with smart sprinter Lankan Rupee.
Lankee Rupee is stepping up Group 1 company in the Oakleigh Plate. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Lankan Rupee is one of twenty sprinters nominated for the Oakleigh Plate which is loaded with plenty of speed in the shape of Bel Sprinter, Knoydart, Kuroshio, Richie’s Vibe and Spirit Of Boom.
The in-form Lankan Rupee is the winner of his last three starts which including a win over Snitzerland in the Listed $150,000 Dilmah Earl Grey Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on November 7.
The Gerald Ryan trained Snitzerland came out last Saturday at Flemington to win the Group 1 $500,000 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) which has subsequently strengthened the form of Prices’ sprinter.
Lankan Rupee showed that he has continued on with his winning Spring form with a three and three quarter lengths first up win in the Group 2 $175,000 Schweppes Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on February 8 and Price said that the four year old has thrived in the stable since.
“He’s flying,” Price told AAP.
“He hasn’t missed a beat.”
“I thought Caulfield last Saturday was a hard day for a lot of the horses. I know on the Sunday morning my horses had felt the day, so he’s had a very light week.
“He worked well on Saturday morning. He’ll work well on Tuesday and he’ll take his place next Saturday.”
Price had tossed up the idea of running Lankan Rupee in the Black Caviar Lightning but ran his other stable star Samaready who made up ground last to run third to Snitzerland.
“In hindsight I should have run him in the Lightning and I should have run Samaready last week in the 1100 metre Rubiton Stakes,” Price said.
“I did think of that, but I just thought Samaready was a horse that’s won two Group Ones and deserved her chance in the Lightning. She ran fantastic.”
Top Melbourne jockey Craig Newitt will be aboard Lankan Rupee again after winning on the gelding twice in the Spring and was again on board in his first up Autumn win in the Rubiton Stakes.
Knoydart showed so much improvement with his win in the Listed $120,000 IVECO Melbourne Truck Centre Hareeba Stakes (1200m) at Mornington on February 12 that the Peter Snowden stable couldn’t resist the temptation to stepping the More Than Ready four year old straight up to Group 1 level of the Oakleigh Plate.
