It was all about Anamoe at the star-studded Australian Racehorse of the Year and Australian Racing Hall of Fame double-header held at Optus Stadium in Perth on Thursday night.
The James Cummings-trained entire added the night’s top accolade to his stunning career as he was crowned the Australian Racehorse of the Year for 2022/2023 season.
Saluting at the highest level with a victory in the 2022 Cox Plate, the champion notched six Group 1 titles over the season and was a clear standout with voters naming him the Champion Middle Distance horse of the year.
The Godolphin star kicked off his stellar season with victories in the Winx Stakes, George Main Stakes and Caulfield Stakes before completing 2022 with his magnificent win in the Cox Plate.
His dominance continued in 2023 with wins in the Chipping Norton Stakes and George Ryder Stakes.
In his own acceptance speech, Group 1 champion jockey James McDonald was full of praise for his partner-in-crime.
“Anamoe has been a warhorse for me and the Godolphin team,” he said.
“He was such an honest cool dude who put his heart on the line every time and he won at the very highest level.
“His win in the Cox Plate was just scintillating — he gave me so many thrills and was such a great horse not only on the track but off the track as well”.
It was also a momentous night for Clayton Douglas and the connections of Giga Kick, with the champion gelding taking out two major awards for the 2022/23 season.
The Everest and All Aged Stakes winner was crowned as the Champions Three-Year-Old Colt/Gelding, and it came as no surprise that the Doomben 10,000 star was also named Champion Sprinter of the Year with a resounding number of votes in this category.
In Secret was crowned as the Champion Three-Year-Old Filly after claiming two brilliant Group 1 wins in the Coolmore Stud Stakes and Newmarket Handicap.
The Chris Waller-trained Shinzo took out the 2022/23 Champion Two-Year-Old award, enjoying a stellar debut season that included victory in the $5 million Golden Slipper Stakes.
Ciaron Maher and David Eustace were applauded with their Melbourne Cup star Gold Trip taking out the Champion Stayer award for 2022/23 amassing a record-breaking amount of votes in this category, while Irish gelding Stern Idol was crowned as the Champion Jumper of the season.
More horse racing news
