2015 Group 1 Lightning Stakes: Racing live updates, tips and results

Lankan Rupee, the world’s equal top ranked sprinter, will be defending his crown in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes at Flemington. Join us here on The Roar just before the jump of the race at 4:35pm AEDT for commentary and race results.

The trio of Lankan Rupee, Brazen Beau and Deep Field are all resuming in this race, but have been keeping fit through trials and jump outs.

Lankan Rupee has opened in the market as the favourite and currently sits as the $2.30 on fixed odds.

Lankan is fighting two rising stars of the racing industry in a mouth-watering contest to excite even the most casual racing fan. He won a recent trial over A Time For Julia at Cranbourne, sitting wide and off the pace and quickened nicely under Dale Smith. That trial was more impressive than his spring trial, but the spring trial was ridden on a heavy track.

Lankan Rupee also galloped between races at Caulfield last week and Craig Newitt will fly in from Singapore to take the ride on rac eday. It’s possible that Lankan Rupee’s power could be fading as his spring wasn’t as dominant as his previous autumn campaign, but he did pick up an autumn Group 1 treble in 2014 so perhaps we could see the best of him again.

Deep Field is the obvious danger and is currently $2.40 on the fixed odds market, his race record speaks for itself he is unbeaten in five starts with a combined winning margin of 24 lengths amongst those five wins.

However we might be able to find a hole in his perfection with just two of the 10 horses placing behind him going on to win. Isorich (a Wyong BM70) and Shamalia (a Filles and Mares BM84 at The Valley).

It is worth noting though that when Deep Field has won he has won with relative ease. Regular rider Dwayne Dunn failed to overturn his suspension and will miss the chance to claim a Group 1 here. Replacement jockey James Winks is probably someone I wouldn’t have considered to take the saddle but he is a talented young rider.

Deep Field’s jump out earlier in the week was super impressive, he rocketed out of the barriers and went to the line on his own to roll his opposition by four lengths.

Brazen Beau is rated a $5 chance and finished behind Deep Field in the jump out, but unlike Deep Field the horse was eased through the jump out much to the delight of his connections with many rating it a replica to what he showed prior to his maiden Group One win in the spring.

Those three look to make up the trifecta in this race but talented WA sprinter Watermans Bay ($31) makes the trip and Fab Fevola the outsider of the field is rated at $61 while The Quarterback is the most likely runner of the outsiders to run 4th at $16.

Watermans Bay is a Group 1 winner following a triumph in the 2013 Winterbottom at Ascot, but this is a much tougher task than what he isused to. Fab Fevola won a benchmark 78 last time out and this will be start 50 for the enigmatic sprinter but he just doesn’t stack up in this race.

The Quarterback is chasing three victories in four starts following a last start sixth when starting as a favourite at Sandown. It’s quite possible that because we have a small field that one of the outsiders could surprise. However, the top of the pile look far ahead.

I think Deep Field can make it six from six and get the racing community really excited about a special horse.

I am tipping Brazen Beau to finish close behind with Lankan Rupee fighting it out for 3rd with Fab Fevola the expected leader to just sneak in for fourth.

Brent Ford tips

1. Deep Field
2. Brazen Beau
3. Lankan Rupee
4. Fab Fevola