Lankan Rupee To Trial At Randwick On Saturday

2014 T.J. Smith Stakes favourite Lankan Rupeewill take on a strong field in a barrier trial over 835 metres at the Randwick Kensington track on Friday morning.

Lankan Rupee will make his first public appearance in Sydney in a barrier trial at Randwick on Friday.

Lankan Rupee will make his first public appearance in Sydney in a barrier trial at Randwick on Friday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Lankan Rupee has not been seen at the races since he took out the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) in impressive fashion at Flemington on March 8 and will be chasing the fourth win of his preparation in the T.J. Smith Stakes following his victories in the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on February 8 and the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at the same venue on February 22.

The Redoute’s Choice gelding will face a number of talented gallopers in the barrier trial on Friday morning; with Gypsy Diamond, Hawkspur, Safeguard, Scandiva and Snitzerland all set to contest the Randwick trial.

Snitzerland is also heading towards the T.J. Smith Stakes and will have her final hit-out in the barrier trial after being scratched from the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens last weekend due to a wet track.

The Snitzel mare has performed well in two starts this preparation; winning the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on February 15 before finishing an unlucky second in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Royal Randwick on March 15.

Another sprinter that is set to contest the T.J. Smith Stakes is Anthony Cummings-trained Fontelina, who is still chasing a maiden win at Group 1 level after being narrowly denied a victory in the William Reid Stakes by Spirit Of Boom.

Cummings considered running Fontelina in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens last weekend, but opted to give the son of Testa Rossa a barrier trial start instead; with stablemate Scandiva also on track to follow the same path to the T.J. Smith Stakes.

Hawkspur has been included in the nominations for both the Group 1 The BMW (2400m) and Group 3 Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, but is not expected to contest either race; with the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) now the major 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival goal for the Purrealist gelding.

John O’Shea-trained Gypsy Diamond is also on track to contest the Doncaster Mile, instead of the Group 1 Australian Oaks (2400m), while Safeguard has been included in the nominations for a number of races during The Championships.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.