Golden Slipper betting opened up after the first three favourites in the betting met defeat for the first time in Saturday’s Group II Todman Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.
With Profiteer (Capitalist), Stay Inside (Extreme Choice) and Remarque (Snitzel) dominating the betting, it was left to Godolphin’s Melbourne visitor Anamoe to spoil the party.
Rachel King settled the James Cummings-trained son of Street Boss (USA) just off the speed set by Profiteer. That pair knuckled down to a dogfight in the straight, with Anamoe winning by a head. The blue-blooded I Am Invincible colt Home Affairs was longneck back in third ahead of Stay Inside, who had little luck, with Remarque back in fifth.
The most experienced runner in the field, Anamoe finished fifth behind Fake Love in the Listed Debutant Stakes at Caulfield in October before opening his account in the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes at Sandown a month later.
He then finished second to General Beau in the Group III Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield on February 6 before a third behind the impressive Artorius in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes a fortnight later.
“He’s a classy colt, no doubt about that, Cummings enthused.
“We barely breathed on the horse once he got back from Melbourne.
“He had to absorb a bit of that pressure, come back underneath them and attack the line so strongly.
“He’s got Golden Slipper written all over him. That will take most of our attention over the next couple of weeks.
“We tried to leave a little a bit of improvement in him over the next couple of weeks. We didn’t want him winning by ten lengths, but we were quietly confident that he could upset the favoured horses.
“The others have gone well. The second horse pulled his head off on the fresh side, and others had their setbacks.
“This horse has had a really good two weeks. He didn’t have the most ideal week leading into the Blue Diamond or the best barrier. He’s due for one again in two weeks time.
“The reward for the Slipper will be enormous. He’s a natural horse with the blinkers off. He was focused and is a live chance in the Slipper.”
A homebred for Godolphin, Anamoe is a half-brother to Irish stakes-winner Anamba and is the fourth winner from six to race out of the Group I SAJC Australasian Oaks winner Anamato.
A half-sister by champion sire Redoute’s Choice to Group I winner Drum, Anamato has a huge black type pedigree that also features Group I winners Grand Armee, Yourdeel and Dealer Principal.
Anamato started her stud career in the Northern Hemisphere before returning to Australian in 2014.
The daughter of Redoute’s Choice has a yearling colt by Shooting to Win and was covered by Darley’s young gun sire Blue Point (IRE) last spring.
