Lankan Rupee will head to the paddock, not to the Winterbottom Stakes in Perth, with Mick Price flagging a change of riding tactics for the autumn.
Price said Lankan Rupee’s brave performance in the Darley Classic after doing all the bullocking work highlighted a need for different tactics.
He said he did not want Lankan Rupee being a “bunny”.
“I’m not making any excuses. He was beaten by two very good horses,” Price said.
“I think in the autumn we just need to have a rethink how we ride him. Certainly, I don’t want to be the bunny for those two cannonballs sitting off me.
“I thought Chad (Schofield) rode him well. The horse is so brilliant out of the gates — he would lead any 1000-metre race in Australia if you asked him to.
“He’s just got to learn to come back in a 1200-metre race to help him make the last 400 metres the best he can do rather than sitting there as a bunny for two really gun horses.”
Price said it was the owner’s desire to send the horse to the paddock and he was quite happy with that plan.
“He’s a fully conditioned horse. He had a hard run, but he pulled up like good athletes should,” Price said.
“He’s well, he’s sound. He’s bright, he could go around again, but he’s going to the paddock.
“He’s had a good prep — he won a Group 1 and was close up in all his other three runs. He had two gun sprinters sitting off him yesterday (Saturday) and he was collared in the last 100 metres.
“He was pretty brave. He’s one of the really good sprinters in the country.”
– Racing Network
