Anamoe was the big-ticket item among the first-season sires on the yearling sale circuit earlier in 2026 and the first of his products to appear publicly as two-year-olds did little to dimnish the boom on Monday morning.
The Darley superstar had two juveniles step out at the first official two-year-old trials of the season on the Kensington track at Randwick in Sydney and both were successful.
The Bjorn Baker-trained Nonu was an impressive winner of the fourth of five 850-metre trials for the colts and geldings, 15 minutes before Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained filly Runaway Diva won the last of four trials for the fillies.
Baker conceded he paid more for Nonu – a NZ$600,000 buy at the Karaka Yearling Sale – than he wanted, but he is now glad he did.
Nonu, a colt by champion Anamoe, runs 49.02 in winning an 850m heat at Kensington. The @BBakerRacing youngster held 3-1/2 lengths on Eagle Jac (Jacquinot) with Macho (Ole Kirk) third. @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/PA8eyiHyvk
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) September 21, 2026
“He’s a really nice horse, he’s got plenty of quality about him,” Baker said.
“We probably went beyond our budget in New Zealand to buy him.
“But Anamoe was a superstar racehorse and I think he’s going to be a superstar stallion.”
Nonu scored by 3-1/2 lengths from Jacquinot colt Eagle Jac in a time of 49.02 seconds, while Runaway Diva won her trial in 49.22secs.
The latter, a $380,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling who is out of Fleet Dove, took more riding than Nonu to win her trial, with runner-up Everlasting Grace impressing when a narrow second under a light ride, but Bott is excited about her career ahead.
Anamoe filly Runaway Diva, trained by @GaiWaterhouse1 & Adrian Bott, kicks back to win an 850m Kensington trial in 49.22 over Everlasting Grace (Yes Yes Yes) with Rhythm (Justify) in third. @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/Ch3jrgySZG
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) September 21, 2026
“I think the Anamoes in general have been very impressive; great constitutions the way they’ve handled themselves and physically she’s a great example of them,” he said.
“She’s a lovely, strong type and I think there’s a lot of improvement to come off the back of today with her.
“It was great to see the way she responded under pressure and she just kept finding.”
Waterhouse and Bott also won the last trial of the morning, with Trapeze Artist colt Flying Houdini running 49.05secs, while Baker also had another winner on the morning.
The Warwick Farm trainer produced Stay Inside youngster Out Of Bounds to win the third trial for colts and geldings in 48.90secs, which was the equal fastest time of the set.
It was matched by Marc and Mitchell Conners-trained Exceedance filly She’s Supreme, who won the third fillies’ trial.
Michael Freedman was the other trainer to win multiple trials, seeing Written Tycoon youngster Proverb overcome a chequered passage to win the first trial of the morning in 50.25secs before Ole Kirk filly Straddha went 49.72secs to win the second girls’ trial.
The other winners were Peter Snowden-trained Capitalist filly Shezablaze (49.53) and Chris Waller’s I Am Invincible colt Fiji, who looked to have a bit in hand when scoring by 1-1/2 lengths in the second colts and geldings trial in 49.92secs.
