Anamoe, the 2022 Cox Plate winner and multiple Group 1 winning star from the Godolphin stable, is set to return to action in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes at Randwick on Saturday where he has been installed as favourite at restrictive odds.
His price represents both the reputation he brings into the race and the respect which his eleven victories (from twenty-one starts) has earned.
Anamoe did win first-up last preparation when taking out the Group 1 George Main Stakes … so being first-up should hold no fears for him, but the opposition is not lacking in quality runners with several runners seemingly having the capacity to pierce Anamoe’s guard should there indeed be any weakness first-up.
Trainer Chris Waller loaded up with six nominations and left five to face the starter at the acceptance stage.
El Bodegon, third in the Cox Plate just 0.60 lengths behind Anamoe … the Caulfield Cup winner Durston … the Vinery winner and Golden Eagle place-getter, Fangirl … the Surround Stakes winner Hinged … and the Archer Stakes winner Surefire have all stood their ground, with Waller’s Victoria Derby winner Manzoice being the only one to fall away.
The Annabel Neasham runners are seldom there to just make up the numbers … and she sends out Mo’Unga, fresh after a rest, and Law Of Indices, in his first start since running a tremendous race in Hong Kong, when finishing third to the very smart California Spangle in the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile.
Throw in the likes of the Joseph Pride trained Stockman, the Bjorn Baker trained Arapaho, the Brad Widdup trained Icebath and the Tony Gollan trained Vega One, who have won twenty-three races between them and who have jointly banked over $9.3 million in prize-money …and nobody can be left in any doubt about the truly competitive nature of this line-up.
For all of that, Anamoe is Anamoe … a horse who is difficult to oppose on so many different levels.
The combination of a horse being first-up over a distance short of his best would normally give some hope to his opponents.
Come 4.40pm on Saturday, we will find out if that general rule can also be applied to a champion racehorse … or whether anybody believing that has merely been clutching at straws.
