Saturday summary: Anamoe joins the elite with victory in the Winx Stakes

Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan

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Anamoe blows his rivals away in the Winx Stakes

In winning the Group 1, the James Cummings-trained entire becomes the first horse since Show A Heart in 2001 to win an elite-level race as a juvenile, 3-year-old and 4-year-old, with Testa Rossa and the great Octagonal (NZ) having also completed the extraordinary feat in 2000 and 1996 respectively.

Anamoe had not been seen since he ran last of nine runners in the G1 Queen Elizabeth S., having landed the G1 Rosehill Guineas on his previous start.

However, returning as a 4-year-old all reports were that the son of Street Boss (USA) had returned from his winter break a bigger and better horse, and after Saturday’s performance there can be no doubting that assessment.

After racing in the middle of the pack for much of the contest under James McDonald, was forced to switch Anamoe to the fence with 100 metres left to travel, but once he saw daylight, he was able to let down impressively and gallop away to beat Group 1 winner Fangirl (Sebring) by 1.8l.

Fellow elite-level winner Profondo (Deep Impact {Jpn}) came home another 0.1l away in third - the best performance he has posted since his victory in last season’s G1 ATC Spring Champion S. last October.

A visibly emotional Cummings expressed his admiration for the 4-year-old, whose top-flight wins now stand at four, while he also ran second in the G1 Golden Slipper S. as a juvenile and was narrowly touched off in the G1 Cox Plate last year.

“Without an international horse this horse might have won a Cox Plate or a Caulfield Guineas. If he draws a gate in a Golden Slipper, he’s won a Slipper. Name me a colt who is not far off going to stud who has done that. He is a pretty special horse to have in work,” said Cummings.

“He's a proper horse isn’t he? It is a great result for the team and I’m a bit surprised I'm upset (emotional) about it but it just means a lot to us. It's a pleasure for us to have a horse as good as this back at four. We’ve got a great team around us.

“We say it all the time, it should go without saying really, but you can see the effort that's gone into this horse, getting to this level and to have him back every prep is amazing.

“To talk to the boys at the conclusion of his preparation last time, to have the confidence in us to keep going with him, that we feel like we can lift his value and lift his reputation - it's Group 1 win number four. You can't help but feel like he's well and truly stamped himself as the horse to beat in anything he runs in this preparation.”

Cummings was unwilling to make raceday plans for Anamoe, but the trainer said there were a plethora of options for the entire.

“We've got plenty of time to see how he pulls up. We’re spoilt for choice, there is so much on the table for a horse like him,” he said. “He’s a wonderful horse to have in training for his Highness Sheikh Mohammed in Australia and a great advertisement really of what we can do with the farm and with the stables we've got.”

'He's a superstar'

Meanwhile, McDonald was equally effusive in his praise for Anamoe and said he believed he had improved this season.

“He’s a superstar and dare I say it, I think he’s definitely gotten better from three to four. Obviously, some can, some don’t but this is a different horse. He’s more alert, he’s putting it all together.

“It was great to show a performance of a horse who is obviously improving. He will only get better as he gets on. I don’t have enough words to say about him. I can’t speak highly enough about him because he’s just an absolutely beautiful horse. Lucky I’ve strapped myself to him.”

“I say there is more to come. It’s great to see Godolphin keep this colt in work. I think he’s got some big targets ahead of him.”

Anamoe is out of the G1 Australasian Oaks winner Anamato (Redoute's Choice) and she is also the dam of Irish Listed winner Anamba (GB) (Shamardal {USA}) and metropolitan winner Amitto (Lonhro).

Anamato’s most recent foal was a filly by Darley shuttler Blue Point (Ire) and she missed to Street Boss last spring.

‘She’s a lovely mare’

Earlier in the afternoon, Anamoe’s stablemate Zapateo (Brazen Beau) opened her 4-year-old account with an impressive victory in the G3 Toy Show Quality, a performance that left Cummings predicting a big future for the well-bred mare.

By Darley stallion Brazen Beau, Zapateo clinched her first stakes race win at the conclusion of her Classic year when she landed the Listed Denise's Joy S. at Scone in May, having previously signalled she was a stakes winner in waiting when second in the G2 PJ Bell S. in April.

On Saturday, the 4-year-old mare stormed home to beat Jamaea (Headwater) by 2.8l, while Sky Command (Deep Field) was another 0.1l away in third.

“She’s a lovely mare and she looks like she has got a big future. She was not well weighted at all with the compression of the weights, as it turned out, in this race with the dual acceptor and that was a shame for her,” said Cummings.

“But she has been flying along in her track work and we were extremely confident. Zapateo is Osborne Bulls' half-sister and a young mare by Brazen Beau and gee, she looks like she has got lots of upside and I don’t think she’s done with yet.

“Rachel (King) did the perfect job from the good gate. She got the perfect storm in the run and was able to get her to switch off a lot better than she did at Scone.”

Cummings said Zapateo would now likely head to G2 Sheraco S. at Rosehill on September 10.

“If we take her to the Sheraco (S.) next then she’s going to have to step up and get the job done over six furlongs and run it out strongly but she’s a fast mare and she’s got a very impressive turn of foot. When they can slide up on the bridle like that at Randwick, you know you’re cooking with gas.”

Bred by Godolphin, the 3-year-old filly is out of Listed winner Jerezana (Lonhro) - the dam of Group 2 and multiple Group 1-placed gelding Osborne Bulls (Street Cry {Ire}).

Zougotcha shines in Silver Shadow

After showing glimpses of her untapped talent as a 2-year-old, the Chris Waller-trained Zougotcha (Zoustar) came of age in the G2 Silver Shadow S. at Randwick and could now be set more illustrious targets in the coming months.

Last season, Zougotcha won her debut at Canterbury on a wet track, later earning a trip to Brisbane where she finished fourth in the Listed Bill Carter S. at Doomben.

However, much like her sire Zoustar, she showed on Saturday she had furnished into a powerful 3-year-old when she defeated the luckless In Secret (I Am Invincible) by 1.3l, while North Star Lass - who, like the winner, is also by the Widden Stud-based stallion - finished another 0.3l behind in third.

“She’s pretty much like Zoustar really, he didn’t win the Group 1 up there (JJ Atkins) but he just exploded as a 3-year-old. It is good to see him putting so much into his progeny. They are exciting horses and she is an example of that,” Waller said.

The trainer said the filly would now continue onto the next race in the Darley Princess Series, the G2 Furious S. at Randwick on September 4 and was hopeful she would be able to stretch out to 1600 metres for the fourth and final leg of the program, the G1 Flight S. on October 2.

“It is a long way but she is here for the first one and got some points. It is a historical series that normally sees good horses perform,” said Waller. “If we can get her through to a Flight S., that would be fantastic, but one step at a time.”

The filly was purchased by Waller and his bloodstock agent Guy Mulcaster for $500,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale from the draft of her breeders Widden Stud.

She is out of the Listed-placed Fastnet Rock mare Fast Talker, making her a sister to Twilight Glow S. winner Persuader, while she also counts The Actuary (Sebring) among her half-siblings.

Maher and Eustace dominate at The Valley

Powerhouse partnership Ciaron Maher and David Eustace enjoyed an incredible day at the office on Saturday as they sent out five metropolitan winners in total, with the impressive haul headed Fast Witness’ (Star Witness) victory in the Listed McKenzie S. at Moonee Valley.

Fast Witness was the first winner of what would be a memorable afternoon for the Maher and Eustace at Moonee Valley, with the pair chalking up wins in the next three races on the card and the day culminated with high-class mare Bella Nipotina’s (Pride Of Dubai) triumph in the Listed Carlyon S., the only other stakes race on the card.

Racing in blinkers for the first time, Fast Witness showed tenacity in spades to add a first stakes win to his record, beating Shalaman (Shalaa {Ire}) by 0.1l.

The colt holds a nomination for the G1 Golden Rose S., but Eustace said he thought that might be a little ambitious for the colt at this stage.

“I feel like he will get 1400 metres, that will be fine, but just whether he stays here and runs in the Exford Plate or the Guineas Prelude,” Eustace said.

“His win at Cranbourne was a 'classic colty win'. He had the ability there but didn't quite knuckle down to his task.

“He had worn blinkers prior to that at home, so they went on today (Saturday).

“He jumped well, travelled nice and strong and got a lovely ride from Ethan who has been doing a lot of work through winter and has had a lot of faith in the horse.”

Bred and raced by Sean Duke, Fast Witness becomes stakes winner number 22 for his Widden Stud, Victoria-based sire Star Witness.

Meanwhile, Bella Nipotina could now be aimed at the G1 Manikato S. following her Listed victory at Moonee Valley on Saturday, her third career win at stakes level.

“She is incredibly tough. She's danced every dance really over the last 12 to 18 months,” Eustace said.

“She is possibly getting better again and ultimately, hopefully, she can get back here for the Manikato S. which has been the plan for a while.

“There's an awful lot of races for her throughout the spring, here in Melbourne, up in Sydney. She can travel, she's incredibly brave and it's great to kick off the campaign like this.”

Eustace said the G2 McEwen S. back at The Valley in two weeks could be on the agenda, providing the mare recovers well.

“You have to make plans for her, but at the same time she stays 1200 metres, she's effective over 1000 metres,” Eustace said.

“She handles good ground, she handles wet, she races well right and left-handed. There are plenty of opportunities.”

Mayfair Spirit (Ire) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) provided the stable with the second win of the Moonee Valley four-timer and that victory was subsequently followed up by Mankayan’s (Ire) (Intello {Ger}) triumph in Race 7, while for good measure, the Maher/Eustace stable also saddled a winner at Randwick with Impulsar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) taking out a BM78 race.

Lickety Split makes winning comeback

Last season’s G1 Sistema S. winner Lickety Split (NZ) (Turn Me Loose {NZ}) returned to the winning groove at Ruakaka on Saturday when she resumed with a triumph in the G3 Northland Breeders' S.

The Andrew Forsman-trained daughter of Turn Me Loose (NZ) won her first two races as a juvenile including the G1 Sistema, but endured a torrid run to finish seventh in the G1 Sires' Produce S. in April.

But, she put that performance behind her on Saturday, digging deep to beat Pacific Dragon (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) by 0.1l. Lord Cosmos (Pierro) finished a 1l further away in third.

“It was a really good effort as they were a little wayward in front of her and she did cop a bit of a bump,” he said.

“I thought Courtney did a great job as she kept her balanced and held her up for the closing stages. She spelled very well and has furnished into a pretty powerful unit now and I think she will just keep getting better.

“You always have a few nerves first-up as to whether you have them fit enough, but she showed she wanted to be there. She knows where the winning post is and she will only get better from here.”

Forsman remained tight-lipped as to plans for the filly, but said he wanted to avoid the Heavy winter tracks.

“We haven’t looked too far ahead with her as I really just wanted to get her safely through today,” he said.

“She doesn’t like the very wet tracks and that is what we’re going to cop for the next six weeks at least so we will play it by ear and just keep her ticking over until we can find a suitable race and surface for her.”

Bred by Dean Hawkins and Nick Hewson, who are involved in her ownership with a group of close friends and family, Lickety Split is out of the stakes-placed, four-time winner She's Slinky (NZ) (Handsome Ransom).

She’s Slinky was covered by Windsor Park shuttler Circus Maximus (Ire) last season having previously missed to Darci Brahma (NZ) (Danehill {USA}).

Turn Me Loose will stand the upcoming breeding season at Windsor Park for a fee of NZ$20,000 plus GST.