The Love Horse is the world’s best sprinter

A warm and beautiful series of photographs by Bronwen Healy celebrates Lankan Rupee’s new status as the top sprinter in the world so far this year, with a rating of 121 on the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings released last week by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.

View the Lankan Rupee gallery of Bronwen Healy photographs here.

Lankan Rupee’s brilliance on the track is matched by the speed of his rise to prospective champion status. The 4YO son of Redoute’s Choice has won six of his 7 starts this season for owner-breeder Teeley Assets, the last five charting his unbeaten progress from a Listed win on Oaks Day in November to a magnificent Group 1 double at Caulfield and Flemington in the last three weeks.

Christened the “Love Horse” by Bronwen Healy because of the perfect heart marking on his forehead, Lankan Rupee was photographed earlier this month with his trainer Mick Price, whose affection for his stable star is evident. However, Lankan Rupee exceeded even his expectations in the VRC Newmarket H. G1 on 8 March, when the gelding carried second topweight of 56.5 kg and burst away from a field of top-class sprinters to win by 2.3 lengths in 1:09.26.

Lankan Rupee is also the top-rated horse on the Australian Timeform Rankings compiled by Gary Crispe of Racing & Sports. His current figure of 129 is the third highest Timeform rating achieved in the Newmarket Handicap, behind only Black Caviar (135 in 2011) and Hay List (132 in 2012). As Racing & Sports comments, “The latest Timeform figure is an imposing one for those rivals who are set to line up against the Teeley Assets-raced gelding in the TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick on 12 April.”

Lankan Rupee, who was foaled and raised at Arrowfield, has contributed just over $1.1 million to Redoute’s Choice’s Australian season earnings of $6.1 million. That puts the great son of Danehill in third position on the General Sires’ premiership, breathing down the neck of Fastnet Rock, and just over $1 million behind his son and barnmate Snitzel, on $7.2 million.

Yearling and breeding stock buyers have wonderful opportunities to buy into Lankan Rupee’s genetics over the next few months. Redoute’s Choice has 34 yearlings in next month’s Inglis Australian Easter Sale, among them three fillies and six colts consigned by Arrowfield.

Lankan Rupee’s dam Estelle Collection, in foal to Redoute’s Choice, his weanling three-quarter sister by Manhattan Rain, his sister Charming Estelle and her weanling colt by Manhattan Rain will all be offered for sale in the much-anticipated Teeley Dispersal at the Magic Millions National Sale, 26 May-5 June.