Lankan Rupee may not yet have the cult status of Black Caviar but he is currently rated the best sprinter in the world. The Usain Bolt of the equine world makes his seasonal debut at Moonee Valley on Saturday in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes and is hot favourite to return with a win.
The gelding by Redoute’s Choice won three Group 1 races last season to rise to the top of the sprinting pile. Despite the best efforts of Royal Ascot, connections could not be tempted to travel to the UK in a bid to emulate the great mare in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes but who knows what may lie ahead of him this season.
Trainer Mick Price gave the go-ahead for him to run after working with Lion Of Belfort over 800m on Tuesday. Jockey Craig Newitt was very impressed and Price admitted it would be a major blow to him if his stable star were beaten on Saturday. His Group 1 hat-trick came in the Oakleigh Plate, the Newmarket Handicap and the TJ Smiths Stakes.
He overcame bad ground to beat Rebel Dane by two lengths in the TJ Smiths but his performance in the Newmarket Handicap had already convinced the experts that he was the real deal.
The horse that is being spoken of as a possible giant killer is the filly Eloping. She produced an exceptional piece of track work on the same day as Lankan Rupee, recording a faster final 400m in the process. Trainer Peter Morgan is hoping that the 8.5kg weight allowance and the fact that the favourite is yet to race this season could lead to a shock win for his filly. Eloping has not run since finishing fourth to Brazed Beau in the Group 2 Champagne Classic at Doomben in May. The plan is for Eloping to blaze the trail and see if the favourite can reel her in.
The pick of the remainder may be Unpretentious who was third in the William Reid Stakes. Godolphin are represented by the Exceed And Excel colt Orujo. Peter Moody’s Angel Beach and the Robbie Griffiths-trained Angelic Light finished second and third in a Listed race here recently and re-oppose but the form does not look good enough.
If all goes to plan, Lankan Rupee should pick up the front-running filly with a furlong to run and stamp his authority on the race.
Lankan Rupee @SP Paddy Power
