Can Lankan Rupee retain his crown?

Doubts about Lankan Rupee (Aus)'s fitness have raised a major question mark about the world's joint-highest rated sprinter's bid for a repeat victory in the G1 T.J. Smith S., the race named in memory of the great Randwick trainer and father of Gai Waterhouse. The 5-year-old won the G1 Lightning S. first-up returning from his Summer spell, but was found to have torn a pectoral muscle after checking in sixth in the G1 Newmarket H. Mar. 14. He hadn't finished off the board in his previous 13 starts.

Speaking on RSN Radio, trainer Mick Price described his charge as now “perfectly sound” but expressed cautiousness as to his chances to land the spoils. “I reckon he looks a bit lightish,” Price said. “There's nothing wrong with his work but I just reckon I've seen him more robust, he's nice and fresh and he came off the track bright and bouncy so there's nothing more you can do. I'm confident that he'll run well, I'd love to see him win but I'm not overly confident.” The defending champion will require veterinary clearance from Racing New South Wales.

Those eager to make the most of Lankan Rupee's potential off day are headed by Hawkes Racing's Chautauqua (Aus) and Joseph Pride's Terravista (Aus). The trio have met on two occasions and only once on level weights–in the 2014 G1 Darley Classic, where Terravista prevailed by a neck from Chautauqua, with Lankan Rupee a further 3/4 length back in third. They went head to head again in Brazen Beau (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus})'s G1 Newmarket H. and Chautauqua, gaining a two-pound advantage from Terravista, turned the tables on this rival, who finished 1/2 length back in third.

Chautauqua has won a quartet of Group races, including the G2 Rubiton S. on his seasonal bow Feb. 14, but is yet to score at the highest level, having filled the runner-up spot on both his attempts so far. Co-trainer Michael Hawkes is confident the grey can make third time lucky. “This is the race we've set him for all along,” Hawkes told RSN Radio. “He gets through the wet ground and he's raced this way of going. He arrived here Monday in Sydney and looks sensational. He's just gone back into his old routine and his work on Tuesday was outstanding, to put it short.” Hawkes added about Chautauqua's ninth hole (from eleven runners), “He's drawn a bit awkward, but the way it's going to play it's probably going to be the best part [of the track].” 

Joseph Pride is hoping that the soft ground and home advantage can help Terravista return to winning ways. “It's going to be a ripper of a race,” he commented. “You can only be so confident going into a Group 1 but I'm rapt with my horse. We're on our home turf now and he loves the sting out of the track. If he can run up to what he did in the spring he's going to be very hard to beat.” Pride also has Terravista's older half-brother Tiger Tees (NZ) in the race, winner of the G1 Galaxy and two more Group races last year, as well as multiple Group scorer Rain Affair (Aus). “[Tiger Tees] likes to knock off his stablemates”, he said. “He's claimed Rain Affair a few times and he seems to take particular enjoyment in it. I reckon he has almost never been beaten by another Pride runner so it will be interesting to see if he can uphold that.”