The superstar colt Anamoe has made it eight career Group 1 wins after destroying his rivals in the Chipping Norton Stakes on Saturday afternoon.
He was a little bit slower away today after box seating in the Apollo Stakes first-up but it simply didn’t matter as James McDonald pulled him out with 400m to go and rounded them up in dominant fashion.
Fangirl cut the corner again just like in her first-up performance and gave her customary turn-of-foot to run into second. Mo’unga improved with a change of tactics electing to sit outside the leader, Knights Order who ensured a strong tempo throughout the 1600m.
Laws Of Indices finished off nicely into fourth as well, with Hinged the luckless runner getting a massive check at the 300m before sticking to the task to run fifth.
2023 Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes Replay – Anamoe
It was all about the champion colt though with his eighth Group 1 success for team Godolphin and James Cummings to continue his reign as Australia’s best middle-distance galloper.
“That’s the opportunity that Anamoe gets to show himself when there’s proper pace in the race,” said trainer James Cummings.
“He was just six lengths back coiled up, ready to launch when some quality horses were up there vying for the lead early.
“He hasn’t always been able to do that since he’s turned four and in some of his three-year-old races. You can’t put margins on horses necessarily in slowly run races at weight for age and today he was able to do that and I daresay he did have a bit of a wow factor there.
“He’s a genuine weight for age star.”
James Cummings played his cards close to the chest about where to next for Anamoe in Australia and then gave us a clue as the Royal Ascot plans as well.
“We’ve got three weeks to the Ranvet or the George Ryder.,” said Cummings.
“We’ll give ourselves some time, we’ll get through next weekend I’d say and then we’ll continue to make sure that we have a solid plan to stick to when it comes to his assault on Royal Ascot.
“We’ll nominate him for the Queen Anne and Prince Of Wales. We dare not get ahead of ourselves because he’s got some targets here first.”
It was one of the more awkward steers for James McDonald this time, but again alluded to the engine underneath him and spot briefly about where Saturday’s win ranks with his other Group 1 successes.
“Following a not so fancied runner (Arapaho), especially a stayer, was either going to creep in a bit earlier or take me nowhere,” said McDonald.
“Thankfully it got me to the 400m. I’ve been saying it a lot of my life, three four pairs back… explosive.
“The Rosehill Guineas, the Caulfield Guineas, the list goes on. He was spectacular. I think the best one was the Sires Produce. That was arrogant.”
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