Leading form analyst Dominic Beirne has Lankan Rupee on top of his 2014 T.J. Smith Stakes tips, but admits that the inside barrier is a slight concern for the world class sprinter in the $2.5 million sprint at Royal Randwick this weekend.
Lankan Rupee is the 2014 T.J. Smith tip for form expert Dominic Beirne. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Beirne tipped that Lankan Rupee would win the 2014 Newmarket Handicap and he has been extremely impressed with the performances of the son of Redoute’s Choice since he started his autumn campaign.
The former bookmaker believes that Lankan Rupee would win the 2014 T.J. Smith Stakes in a canter if he can reproduce his best form tomorrow, but believes that there are a number of obstacles the four-year-old must overcome to score his third win at Group 1 level.
“The key to the race is Lankan Rupee,” Beirne said.
“On my figures Lankan Rupee is the equal to Hay List and second only to Black Caviar in the last ten years.
“We had a huge rating on him in the Oakleigh Plate, but the trouble is that he has put these two ratings together, so we don’t know if he will stay there.
“If he stays there he will lap them, because he has too much on them, and I think that Lankan Rupee is far superior.
“On a dry track, if he repeated his Newmarket rating, there would no betting.
“He does have to overcome the inside barrier late in the day and he has to run on the wet track, but even with all the penalties the computer has got him at $2.80.”
Gordon Lord Byron is currently on the third line of 2014 T.J. Smith Stakes betting markets and Beirne feels that the talented Irish-trained galloper could be the beneficiary of track bias at Royal Randwick tomorrow.
The Byron gelding snuck down the rail to win the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 29 and Beirne is of the opinion that the six-year-old could score his second straight win at Group 1 level, if the inside of the track is badly affected by the weather.
“If he (Lankan Rupee) has a problem than I like Gordon Lord Byron.
“I am not offended at all by him coming back in distance; his personal best rating over in Europe was when he bolted in over 1200 metres when he ran over 1600 metres three weeks earlier.
“If the leaders are getting run down easily and they are coming down the track than I would go for Gordon.”
Lankan Rupee is currently on top of 2014 T.J. Smith Stakes betting markets, at odds of $3.80, from triple Group 1 winner Buffering ($6), while Gordon Lord Byron is currently available at a quote of $8.
