By Duane Fonseca
Godolphin’s James Cummings-trained Australia star Anamoe’s bright start to 2023 continued last week as he took his earnings past $11 million whilst scoring an eighth top tier success courtesy of a sound victory in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes at Royal Randwick in Sydney.
The 4yo Street Boss entire turned in another solid performance in the 1600m turf event in the hands of jockey James McDonald, racing midfield before being switched to the centre of the track where he found the room to stretch out fully. A winner of the Group 2 Apollo Stakes over 1400m on the same strip two weeks earlier, Anamoe hit the front 100m out and pulled clear with relative ease to finish a length and a quarter clear of Chris Waller’s Fangirl, a further head ahead of the Anabel Neasham-trained Mo’unga.
The win helped him improve his record to 13 wins and seven placings from 23 starts, with his earnings now standing at a staggering $11,162,025. Godolphin Australia head trainer Cummings said: “That’s the opportunity that Anamoe gets to show himself when there’s proper pace in the race. “He was just six lengths back coiled up, ready to launch when some quality horses were up there vying for the lead early.
He can bounce off this win and it’s been a perfect start to the prep, that’s what we’ve been aiming for. Two out of two this campaign is great and hopefully we can keep aiming up with him.” Expected to finish his career at Royal Ascot, Anamoe is set to prepare for that goal with a few more runs at home. Cummings added: “We have three weeks to the Ranvet (Stakes, 2000m) or the George Ryder (Stakes, 1500m). But we’ll get through this weekend, then give ourselves a solid plan to stick to his assault on Royal Ascot.
'FAULTLESS CAMPAIGN'
“So far, he’s had a faultless campaign and we’ve really been pleased with how he’s built up.” Winning rider McDonald added: “He was curled up ready and then he exploded, he was wicked.
He was spectacular, that was arrogant. I’ve always wanted to do that.” Anamoe’s win came on a day on which Cummings enjoyed two more Group level triumphs, as 2yo Corniche booked his spot in next month’s Group 1 Golden Slipper having secured a game victory in the Group 2 Skyline Stakes over 1200m a few races earlier at the same venue under Brenton Avdulla and Pericles won the Group 2 Autumn Classic over 1800m at Sandown in Melbourne under Jamie Kah.
