Lankan Rupee Clear Favourite In Moir Stakes Betting

Star sprinter Lankan Rupee is currently available at 2014 Moir Stakes odds of $1.50 and is a clear favourite to return to winning form in the Group 1 event at Moonee Valley on Friday night.

Lankan Rupee is a clear favourite in 2014 Moir Stakes betting markets.

Lankan Rupee is a clear favourite in 2014 Moir Stakes betting markets. Photo by: Steve Hart

Lankan Rupee suffered a shock first-up defeat to Angelic Light in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on September 6, but punters are confident that the Redoute’s Choice gelding can bounce back from the setback and he has remained rock solid at a quote of $1.50 since betting opened earlier in the week.

Trainer Mick Price admitted that he was surprised Lankan Rupee suffered a first-up defeat in the McEwen Stakes, but he revealed this week that the five-year-old has improved significantly and is confident that his star galloper can’t be beaten in the Moir Stakes.

“We think that he has improved and he definitely worked super at Moonee Valley,” Price said.

“The time before I took him with Lion Of Belfort they sort of stayed together and he is obviously a better horse than Lion Of Belfort, but I wanted a gallop on Monday morning to just have a look at him stretch out properly and that is what we got and that is what he did.

“He has clearly improved and he looks better in the coat.

“With five runners on Friday night I am going to say that I can’t see him getting beaten.”

Buffering won the Moir Stakes in 2012 before finished second behind Samaready in the race last year and he is currently on the second line of betting for the Group 1 event at a quote of $5.50.

The Mossman gelding failed to record a race win during his autumn campaign, but he has an excellent first-up record and trainer Robert Heathcote has been impressed with the seven-year-old ahead of his return to racing.

Angelic Light recorded the biggest win of her racing career when she defeated Lankan Rupee in the McEwen Stakes, but punters do not believe that the Holy Roman Emperor mare will be able to repeat that performance in the Moir Stakes.

The five-year-old opened at Moir Stakes odds of $6, but she has received little support in betting and has drifted out to a quote of $7.

Rebel Dane has had a disrupted 2014 Spring Racing Carnival campaign to date, but he has been the only runner in the 2014 Moir Stakes field that has been supported to beat Lankan Rupee in the on Friday.

The California Dane entire opened at odds of $8.50 and has received a sprinkling of support to be pushed into $8 to claim his second win at Group 1 level.

Nikki Burke-trained Unpretentious opened as the clear outside in Moir Stakes betting market at a quote of $21 and there has been no support for the Stratum gelding, who is now out to Moir Stakes odds of $31.

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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.