Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Anamoe created history at Rosehill on Saturday, with his margin of victory the biggest in the 2000 metre, 3-year-old feature since Dundeel's (NZ) record 6.8l romp nine years ago. It was the son of Street Boss' third Group 1 victory in what is developing into a brilliant career.
"He demolished, on form and on potential, a very strong field, albeit only six runners in it, but to win by near on seven lengths is a fairly emphatic victory and really puts an exclamation mark against his formlines," Godolphin Australia's Managing Director Vin Cox told TDN AusNZ.
Anamoe | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
"If you look at his record, he's won some outstanding races and had come second in some outstanding races as well. He's a super colt and very, very versatile."
It is in that versatility that Anamoe is creating his own mark. Placed in a G1 Golden Slipper and G1 Blue Diamond S. as a 2-year-old, he would also win a G1 Inglis Sires' before extending himself as a 3-year-old.
"If you look at his (Anamoe's) record, he's won some outstanding races and had come second in some outstanding races as well. He's a super colt and very, very versatile." - Vin Cox
In the spring, he was runner-up in the G1 Golden Rose, won the G1 Caulfield Guineas and was a desperately unlucky second to State Of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner) in the G1 Cox Plate. His autumn campaign has now seen him with the G1 Hobartville S., run second in the G1 Randwick Guineas and then street the field in the G1 Rosehill Guineas.
Saturday's Group 1 victory saw him create history as the only colt this century to place in the G1 Golden Slipper and then subsequently win a Group 1 race over 2000 metres. It has been achieved three times by fillies, Yankee Rose (All American), Miss Finland (Redoute's Choice) and Mosheen (Fastnet Rock), but never by a colt going back to the year 2000.
Lonhro didn't contest a Golden Slipper, but having been a stakes-winning juvenile who developed into a champion in that 1600-2000 metre range, it is the Woodlands superstar who Anamoe is starting to remind Cox of.
"There are shades of Lonhro about him. He's probably one of the last colts to be as effective as a 2-year-old and get out a bit further as an older horse," he said.
"There are shades of Lonhro about him (Anamoe). He's probably one of the last colts to be as effective as a 2-year-old and get out a bit further as an older horse." - Vin Cox
"After what he did yesterday, you think what's next? It’s exciting with him and you reflect on what he has done. It’s a very impressive resume. There are very few colts in recent times as versatile as him."
The right distance
He may be a son of a Darley sire more renowned as a producer of sprinters, but there is plenty of Anamoe's Group 1-winning dam Anamato (Redoute's Choice) in his performances over the 2000 metres. It’s arguable that his two best race performances, the narrow Cox Plate defeat and Saturday's dominant win, have been in that distance range.
"His win yesterday was elite and his other run at 2000 metres was the Cox Plate, which has long been known as the pinnacle 2000-metre weight-for-age race in the country. To be sitting at the top of those two races is a testament to the colt's ability," Cox said.
"To be sitting at the top of those two races (the Cox Plate and the Rosehill Guineas) is a testament to the colt's (Anamoe's) ability." - Vin Cox
With that in mind, the next destination, the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. against the older horses on April 9, is quite logical.
"That was the plan. James (Cummings - trainer) did allude to the fact that maybe we might have to go again. We haven't discussed that as a group, but we’ll cover those options in the next day or so," Cox said.
As a measure of the colt's versatility, he also holds entries for both the G2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint and the G1 Australian Derby over The Championships.
Cox felt the key to the dominant performance on Saturday was how Anamoe has been managed through this campaign and the horse's ability to relax.
Vin Cox and Jason Walsh
"He's a colt and they take a bit of work to get them exactly right. I think James and the team had him pretty right yesterday. His demeanour was much more relaxed and calm at Rosehill and that reflected in his race pattern and his performance," he said.
Cox indicated that those wanting to see Anamoe race on into his 4-year-old season may be in for some good news, with no firm plans to rush him off to stand at Darley later this year.
"We are very sporting in terms of wanting to race on. We are not ones to whisk them off to stud the moment they get some value about them. We will consider the horse's racing prospects, his future and his welfare, and make the decision around the horse, rather than around the business of it all," he said.
"We are not ones to whisk them off to stud the moment they get some value about them. We will consider the horse's (Anamoe's) racing prospects, his future and his welfare, and make the decision around the horse, rather than around the business of it all." - Vin Cox
"On a performance like that on Saturday, you do think, where can we go with him? There are so many options ahead for him."
If he were to race on, he would be the first G1 Inglis Sires'-winning colt since Align in 1999 to continue his racing career into his 4-year-old season.
