Lankan Rupee named Australian Racehorse of the Year

Arrowfield’s superstar sire Redoute’s Choice filled one of the few gaps in his lengthy CV on Thursday evening when his 4YO son Lankan Rupee was named 2013/14 racing.com Australian Racehorse of the Year.

The Teeley Assets homebred received 145 votes, ahead of the season’s Champion Stayer Fiorente (121) and Arrowfield’s latest stallion acquisition Dundeel (41), named Champion Middle Distance Horse of the Year.

He is the first Australian Racehorse of the Year by Redoute’s Choice, previously represented by Champion 2YO award winners Fashions Afield (2005) & Miss Finland (2006) and Champion 3YO Fillies Miss Finland (2007) & Samantha Miss (2009).

Lankan Rupee (ex Estelle Collection by Stravinsky) won $2.7 million and 7 of his eight starts last season, including three of Australia’s major sprints, the MRC Oakleigh Plate G1, VRC Newmarket H. G1 and ATC T.J. Smith S. G1. The latter performance earned him an international rating of 123, still the highest figure awarded in the Sprint category on the 2014 World’s Best Racehorse Rankings.

Lankan Rupee, foaled & raised at Arrowfield for Teeley Assets, is the second Arrowfield-sired performer to become Racehorse of the Year. Weekend Hussler (Hussonet-Weekend Beauty), also bred by the Stud, claimed the 2007/08 title. In addition, Arrowfield stood the shuttle stallion Last Tycoon in 1993/94, the year his son Mahogany became Racehorse of the Year.

Dundeel (High Chaparral-Stareel by Staring) received 126 votes in the Middle Distance category, ahead of Boban (85) and Atlantic Jewel (43). He signed off on a magnificent racing career with prizemoney of $3.4 million and victories in the year’s two highest-rated races, the MRC Underwood S. G1 and ATC Queen Elizabeth S. G1 – his fifth and sixth Group 1 wins.

Snitzel’s son Shamus Award won the Herald Sun Champion 3YO Colt of the Year title with 162 votes, from Zoustar (82) and Criterion (74) after a $2.3 million season. He made history by breaking his maiden in MVRC W.S. Cox Plate G1, defeating Happy Trails & Fiorente, and returned to cement his dominance of his generation with success in the VRC Australian Guineas G1.

Arrowfield Chairman John Messara accepted the award for Dundeel on behalf of trainer Murray Baker and the ownership group which includes breeders Murray & Jo Andersen.

John Messara also accepted the racing.com Champion Sire award for Redoute’s Choice. The mighty son of Danehill headed off his own son Snitzel and five other champion sires (Exceed and Excel, Fastnet Rock , Lonhro, O’Reilly and Encosta de Lago) with $10.3 million prizemoney and 10 stakeswinners in Australia, five of them from his remarkable 2009 crop.

It is the third time Redoute’s Choice has received Australia’s ultimate stallion accolade following his successes in 2006 and 2010.