Lankan Rupee’s meteoric rise during the 2013/14 racing season was capped when the Mick Price-trained sprinter was crowned the Australian Racehorse of the Year.

After winning his first start as a gelding at Moonee Valley in a restricted event over 955m, the son of Redoute’s Choice suffered his only loss for the season before going on a six-race winning streak.

The run culminated with scintillating Group 1 victories in the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield, Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington and a devastating all-the-way win in the T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.

Lankan Rupee won the award with a total of 145 votes, ahead of Melbourne Cup winner and Victorian Racehorse of the Year Fiorente on 121 and dual Group 1 winner It’s A Dundeel on 41.

Describing the T.J. Smith victory on an extremely heavy track as his favourite of his horse's performances, Price said it was a massive thrill to have prepared the Australian Racehorse of the Year.

"I'm an optimist at heart and when you get out of bed every morning you hope that one day a horse like this will come along," Price said.

"This is something I will hold for the rest of my life. As a horse trainer it's the pinnacle of what you can achieve."

The award capped a huge night for connections of Lankan Rupee, with the five-year-old also announced as the Inglis Bloodstock Champion Sprinter of the Year and his sire Redoute’s Choice named Champion Australian Sire for a third occasion – his first since 2010.

It marks the sixth time in eight years that the nation’s premier sprinter has taken premier Australian Racehorse of the Year honours, with Black Caviar having done so the previous three years. - Racing Victoria