Three Group 1 winning two-year-olds of that last season fought out the finish of Saturday’s $2million Neds Caulfield Guineas (1600m), with the ATC Sire’s Produce Stakes winner Anamoe leading home the ATC Champagne Stakes winner Captivant and VATC Blue Diamond Stakes winner Artorius in third..
Trained by James Cummings for Godolphin, it was the homebred Street Boss (USA) Anamoe colt that provided Damien Oliver with his second Caulfield Guineas, 31 years after his first.
The two China Horse Club colourbeares and likely future Newgate farm stallions, Captivant and Artorius ran their usual honest races.
The Capitalist colt Captivant provided the winner with a beautiful cart in to the race before going down fighting by a half-length.
The Flying Artie colt Artorius was cluttered back in the field and made up many lengths to be three-quarter of a length back in third.
It was a deserved second Group 1 for Anamoe who owns Group 1 placings in the Blue Diamond, Golden Slipper and the Golden Rose.
The son of Street Boss (USA) advances his record to five wins, three seconds and a third from ten starts with earnings of $3,236,425.
“He’s just such a wonderful animal. Such a rare animal and the expectations on the horse from day dot have been there and that adds to the pressure. He’s delivered,” stable representative Sean Keogh said.
“In his two-year-old year he was a Group 1 winner and to turn that to the highest level as a three-year-old is just unbelievable.
“This was a grand final target. He always seemed in the mould of a horse that would relish the mile, a classic type about him.
“The guy’s targeted it a fair way out. Even as a two-year-old he was always that type of horse. A lot went into it and to produce him on the day with an effort like that was just outstanding from the team in Sydney and all around Australia.
“They’ll be very proud of this horse.”
“James would have assessed the race at acceptances and all the way through. We had a couple of scratchings, so we didn’t see the final field until today. We always had faith in the quality and talent of the horse.
“We didn’t want to change anything he had been doing in the past. We’d seen from when he broke his maiden in the Merson Cooper, he was very much in the mould of his sire, Street Boss. That quality he also possesses from the mare.”
Damien Oliver said Anamoe was sure of being competitive in the Cox Plate if connections decide to go that way.
“I wouldn’t put it beyond him. He’s a big strong colt and relaxes well,” Oliver 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. We’ll see what happens.
He’s just a magnificent specimen of a horse. When I got on him today, the first time for a little while, I could see that he had grown into a beautiful horse that we thought he would.
“We had a nice run, three-wide with cover, but he never really took me into the race. I was just at him a bit to switch him on and even when he got to the front he felt like he pricked his ears.
“He’s like a lot of good horses, he knows he’s good, pricks his ears for the camera.
“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.
“I rode my first Group 1 for his grandfather Bart here on Submariner in the Sir Rupert Clarke. I’ve ridden Group 1’s for his father Anthony and now James as well.
“It’s good to do it for three generations.”
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 features Group I winners Grand Armee, Yourdeel and Dealer Principal.
Anamato started her stud career in the Northern Hemisphere before being repatriated in 2014.
The daughter of Redoute’s Choice has a 3yo colt by Shooting to Win named Dartboard. After missing in 2019, Anamato was covered by Darley’s Blue Point (IRE) last spring.
