Lankan Rupee ready for Oakleigh Plate tilt

Sunday 16 February 2014, 5:39pm

The form lines of likely Oakleigh Plate favourite Lankan Rupee have been franked by Snitzerland's Lightning Stakes win but trainer Mick Price fears he may have missed an opportunity.

Lankan Rupee shoots for his first Group One in Saturday's 1100m Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield having emerged as one of the most promising sprinters in Melbourne with stakes wins at his past three starts.

Snitzerland's win in Saturday's weight-for-age Lightning Stakes (1000m) confirmed the credentials of Lankan Rupee who beat the Gerald Ryan-trained mare in a Flemington sprint last spring.

"He's flying," Price said of Lankan Rupee.

"In hindsight I should have run him in the Lightning and I should have run Samaready last week in the 1100 metre Rubiton Stakes.

"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."

Samaready finished third in Saturday's Lightning after being outsped early before finding the line to finish behind Snitzerland and Shamexpress.

Lankan Rupee has won four of his five starts, including his past three at stakes level, since being gelded before his spring preparation.

He resumed in the Group Two Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on February 8 and dominated to win by 3-3/4 lengths with the meeting run in searing heat.

"He hasn't missed a beat," Price said.

"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."

Samaready claimed the first of her two Group Ones in the $1 million Blue Diamond two years ago and Price has two runners in this Saturday's juvenile feature.

Jabali and Cornrow, who finished second and fifth respectively in the colts and gelding Prelude, worked together on Saturday morning.

"Jabali worked better than Cornrow," Price said.

"I had the blinkers on Cornrow (in the gallop) but I'm not going to use them. I thought he over-worked in them.

"Jabali worked super and has improved from his first-up run (in the Prelude). But having said that it's a very good Blue Diamond this year and he would need to improve."

Damien Oliver rides Jabali while Luke Nolen is booked for Cornrow.

Craig Newitt has the ride on Lankan Rupee.

– AAP

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