Anamoe Lives Up to Hype With Caulfield Guineas Victory

Godolphin's Anamoe once again showed he is one the most exciting horses in training when he added a second top-flight victory to his burgeoning CV in the Oct. 9 Neds Caulfield Guineas (G1), further enhancing his future as a top-line stallion. 

The son of Darley's shuttle stallion Street Boss   came into his classic season with a high-class reputation to uphold, having landed the Inglis Sires' Stakes (G1), UNSW Todman Stakes (G2), and Thoroughbred Club Merson Cooper Stakes as a 2-year-old, while he also finished second in the Longines Golden Slipper Stakes (G1) last season. 

The James Cummings-trained colt got his 3-year-old career off to the perfect start, winning the Run To The Rose (G2), before hitting a slight bump in the road when being narrowly beaten by In The Congo on his previous start in the Golden Rose Stakes (G1) Sept. 25. 

Breaking well from his wide barrier under Damien Oliver, the colt raced towards the back of the field, three-wide off the fence. As they straightened, Anamoe flew past the pack, gaining the lead with 50 meters to travel, eventually beating Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes (G1) winner Captivant by half a length. 

Neds Blue Diamond Stakes (G1) scorer Artorius came with a strong run from the back of a field to finish another three-quarters of a length further away in third. 

There had been much debate ahead of the group 1 regarding how Oliver would overcome barrier 13 and the winning jockey said afterward that the race had panned out just the way he had hoped. 

"I was hoping to find the back of Captivant," Oliver said. 

"He's a good horse and he could take me into the race three-wide with cover. It doesn't always work out the way you want it, but it did today. 

"He's a nice momentum-building horse and he was able to unleash a good finish down the outside." 

Oliver has a long association with the Cummings family, having ridden group 1s for both Cummings' father Anthony and his grandfather Bart.

"I rode my first group 1 for his (James) grandfather Bart here on Submariner in the Sir Rupert Clarke and I've ridden group 1s for his father Anthony, and now James as well," Oliver said. 

"It's good to do it for three generations. It's a great thrill to win a big race for Godolphin. 

"They've been great supporters over the last 12 months and there's a great team behind them with Reg (Fleming) and Sean (Keogh) down here in Melbourne and James has certainly given us a lot of support down here as well." 

Anamoe holds a nomination of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate (G1) in two weeks' time and Oliver said he did not think the group 1 would be out of the colt's range.

"I wouldn't put it beyond him. He's a big strong colt. He relaxes well," he said. 

"I'm sure the team will have a discussion about that. He's certainly got the right temperament for it and he's a lovely horse." 

Should Anamoe take his chance in the Cox Plate, connections would have to look for another partner for the 3-year-old with 49.5 kilograms well outside Oliver's weight range. The jockey has also been booked to ride European import Gold Trip  in the Moonee Valley showpiece. 

Bred and raced by Godolphin, Anamoe is out of 2007 Schweppes Australasian Oaks (G1) victor Anamato  (Redoute's Choice ), whose three other winners are headed by Irish listed winner Anamba .

Anamato herself is a half sister to 1996 Oakleigh Plate (G1) winner Drum and stakes scorer Port Watch. Her other half sister, Tambour, produced the multiple group 1 winner Grand Armee.

Further back this is also the same family as group 1 winners Dealer Principal and Yourdeel, as well as group 2 scorer Sedanzer and group 3-winning duo Broadband and Laburnum.

Anamato's unraced 2-year-old colt—Dartboard—is by Street Boss' barnmate Shooting To Win—who landed the 2014 edition of the Caulfield Guineas. The mare missed to Kermadec  the following season and has most recently been covered by Darley Stud shuttler Blue Point . 

Street Boss has sired 55 individual stakes winners, with Anamoe being one of three group 1 winners for the stallion in Australia and eight elite-level winners overall. The son of Street Cry is standing at Darley's Kelvinside base for a fee of AU$55,000 (inc GST), up from AU$27,500 (inc GST) in 2020. His 2021 fee in Kentucky was $15,000.

Deep Impact's Legacy Lives On

The Richard Litt-trained Profondo made headlines as a yearling when he was purchased by his owners Galletta Construction for a whopping AU$1.9 million (US$1,304,582) at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2019 and Saturday he justified that hefty price tag when running out an easy winner of the Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (G1) at Randwick. 

In landing the group 1, the colt became the 52nd individual elite-level winner for Japan's late champion sire Deep Impact, once again highlighting the indelible void the son of Sunday Silence left in the industry when he prematurely died in 2019. 

Unraced as a 2-year-old, the colt's rise through the ranks has been a swift one since breaking his maiden over 1,400 meters (seven furlongs) at Randwick Kensington Sept. 1 and then finishing second in the ACY Securities Gloaming Stakes (G3) Sept. 25. 

Robbie Dolan—who was enjoying his first group 1 win—settled his mount outside the leader, last-start Darley Flight Stakes (G1) Never Been Kissed, in the early stages of the 2,000-meter (1 1/4-mile) contest. After soaring into the lead after the turn, the 3-year-old pulled clear to hit the line 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Never Been Kissed with Alegron another half a length away in third. 

In doing so, Profondo provided Litt with his third group 1 win, with the now Arrowfield Stud-based sire Castelvecchio the source of his first two, when he landed the Champagne Stakes and Sky Racing Active Rosehill Guineas (G1) in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Castelvecchio also finished second in the 2019 edition of the Spring Champion Stakes, before going on to finish second in the Cox Plate on his next start. 

However, Litt said the colt would not follow that path and would instead head to the paddock and be prepared for an autumn campaign, which could include tilts at the Rosehill Guineas and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1). 

"He's left me speechless. We've had two wonderful weeks with him. We have come here today, he was very relaxed and gee, the world is his oyster," the winning trainer said. 

"He will go to the paddock now I think. He will have a nice spell and we are going to have a big attack come the autumn.  

"He's got some amazing races coming up. He's very exciting." 

Meanwhile, Dolan, who was visibly emotional after the victory, was quick to heap praise on Litt and the Galletta family for keeping him on the colt, despite the plethora of other jockeys queuing up for the ride on the classy 3-year-old. 

"He's a machine. He should have won the last day, I'll take all the badness with that," the jockey said. 

"I pulled the stick through. I panicked a little bit. For the owners to keep me on him today is a token of how nice a people they are. 

"He's tricky to ride and Richard has done an amazing job with the horse. To get him to win a group 1 in his first couple of starts is insane. 

"I was absolutely cruising at the 400 meters going past a group 1 winner (Never Been Kissed) and nothing was catching me.

"I came here five years ago with a school bag on my back, just trying to ride a few winners.

"My dad sits up and watches every race I ride in. It doesn't matter if it's bloody out in the country or in the city. He watches it. 

"He's up there (in Ireland) probably having a cup of tea now. I'd say the neighbors will know I rode a winner." 

Bred and sold by Arrowfield Stud, Profondo is the first and only winner out of 2016 Widden Stakes (G3) winner Honesty Prevails. 

Further back the colt shares a page with stakes-winning trio Thumping, Midnight Watch, and Fully Vested. 

In 2019, Honesty Prevails produced a colt by Arrowfield Stud shuttler Shalaa  and he was purchased by James Harron for AU$1.15 million ($894,000) at last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and last year she produced a colt by Dundeel , before missing to Written Tycoon  this season. 

Honesty Prevails becomes the 23rd daughter of Redoute's Choice to produce a group 1 winner and his incredible ability as broodmare sire also came to the fore in the Caulfield Guineas, with Anamoe, who is also out of a daughter of Arrowfield's late breed-shaping sire, as was the third-placed horse Artorius. 

Daughters of Redoute's Choice produced four stakes winners Saturday, with Magic Millions Debutant Stakes winner Kiki Express and Bentley Angst Stakes (G3) scorer Mirra Vision also being out of mares by the son of Danehill, which saw his total individual stakes winners as a broodmare sire swell to 125.   

Meanwhile, Deep Impact is the sire of 177 individual stakes winners overall and Profondo becomes his fourth group 1 winner in Australia, joining Real Impact  and Australian-based sire sons Fierce Impact  and Tosen Stardom , who stand at Levena Park and Woodside Park respectively, while another of his group 1-winning sons—Saxon Warrior —shuttles to Coolmore Stud in the Hunter Valley. 

The stallion's statistics in Australia make for very impressive reading. He is the sire of 19 winners from 35 runners, while his stakes winners to runners rate fires at an incredible 10.9%.

Probabeel Downs Zaaki

Probabeel put a dent in Cox Plate favorite Zaaki 's preparation for the weight-for-age feature when winning the Neds Might And Power Stakes (G1) at Caulfield Saturday.

The Jamie Richards-trained mare tracked in fourth before launching an attack on the inside of Homesman  and came clear to defeat Nonconformist  by a head as Zaaki weakened to finish third, a length and three-quarters from the winner. Winning jockey Brett Prebble secured his fourth group 1 win of the season, while this was Probabeel's fourth career group 1 success.

"She was all guts," Prebble said. "I was out in the last 100 (meters). She had nothing left but every time I kept lifting, she kept trying her heart out."

Craig Williams, rider of Zaaki, said post-race: "Disappointing that we couldn't keep his picket fence going. The positive from the race is that he's still got improvement in him. He was a little bit fresh and keen in the first half of the race when they put the tempo on. They outsprinted him. He's not as comfortable around Caulfield and even when they outsprinted him late, he still stuck on. We didn't win this battle, but the war isn't over."

Zaaki and Probabeel will lock horns again in the Oct. 23 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley. 

I'm Thunderstruck Rebounds

After the disappointment of defeat in the Neds Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (G1), I'm Thunderstruck bounced back with a dominant win in Saturday's Hyland Race Colours Toorak Handicap (G1) at Caulfield.

The Mick Price- and Michael Kent Jr.-trained 4-year-old defeated Tofane by three-quarters of a length to join Fanatic as group 1 winners for his sire Shocking . Superstorm finished a length and a half behind the winner in third.

The OTI-raced gelding won for the fifth time in eight starts, taking his prize money to beyond AU$900,000.

Shocking stands at Rich Hill Stud for a fee of NZ$8,500 (plus GST).

I'm Thunderstruck's jockey Jye McNeil delivered a gutsy ride to take a narrow gap on the five-time winner.

"I'm pumped," McNeil said. "He really had to earn it today … I thought it was a really brave effort the way he handled himself. Even at the top of the straight, we had to get a little bit physical to find clear space, and then Tofane challenged late. He was super tough."

Kent confirmed he would now target the Golden Eagle in three weeks' time at Rosehill.

"He was a big flashy kind of horse and I never thought it would come this soon with him," Kent said. "It's very exciting. Hopefully he pulls up well. We blended prep two and prep three together and now we've got three weeks until the Golden Eagle."