Lankan Rupee Tastes Victory in Black Caviar
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Lankan Rupee was a clear winner of the Feb. 21 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (Aus-I) at Flemington, taking the 1,000-meter race in :56.29. Sent off at 5-2, Lankan Rupee scored by 2 3/4 lengths over Brazen Beau, winner of the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Aus-I) in November.
The favorite in the field was Deep Field, a son of Northern Meteor, who finished third.
Considered one of the top sprinters in the world, Lankan Rupee was named Australia's Horse of the Year, champion sprinter, and champion older horse for 2014 in October. He has now won 11 of 21 starts and has five wins in group I company. Black Caviar was a three-time Horse of the Year honoree.
Lankan Rupee is a 6-year-old gelding by Redoute's Choice—Estelle Collection, by Stravinsky, bred and owned by Teeley Assets. He was ridden by Craig Newitt, who scored a double on the card in his first day back in Australia after a jaunt to Singapore.
Mick Price, Lankan Rupee's trainer was relieved with the effort of Lankan Rupee, who had finished third behind Terravista and Chautauqua in the Darley Classic (Aus-I) last November over 1,200 meters at Flemington.
"It was pretty dominant; It was a beautiful ride," Price told the Sydney Morning Herald. "I am just glad to see the horse do something really well. I thought Brazen Beau might have been the blowout horse. I thought we had the race worked out OK, but sometimes it's not a two-horse race. The race was run properly and truly and the best horse on the day won."