Perfect Spring for Cox Plate Hero Anamoe

Mark Smith - Saturday October 22

Godolphin’s magnificent champion Anamoe made it four Group 1 wins from as many starts this spring with victory in Saturday’s $5,000,000 Group 1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley.

Every inch a champion (image Grant Courtney)

Given a copybook ride by James McDonald, the 4yo son of Street Boss defeated the fast-finishing I’m Thunderstruck (Shocking) by a long-neck with a long-head further back to El Bodegon (IRE) (Kodiac) in third.

Controversially beaten into second place in the race 12 months ago, Anamoe made it seven wins at the elite level to advance his record to eleven wins, five seconds, and two thirds from 20 starts with earnings of $9,491,025.

Advertisement

“He’s a beautiful horse Anamoe, and he’s been a pleasure to train, but that’s a proper horse race. He is the best horse race I’ve had anything to do with,” Cummings said.

“It’s a humbling experience for me, but I’m just grateful I can be a part of a horse as great as Anamoe. It’s an unbelievable feeling, it’s got me a little lost for words.

“The truth is he’s just had a gun preparation. A couple of times it hasn’t been plain sailing, but my team have come together in phenomenal fashion to have him arrive in nearly perfect shape.

“Halfway through the race, I couldn’t help but feel very calm about it. There were no surprises, everything went to script, and we had the horse in absolutely mint condition to perform.

“The right horses have run second and third so it’s a proper Cox Plate, and it's an absolutely humbling experience to be winning it.

A lovely portrait of Anamoe (image Grant Courtney)

“I’ve got some unbelievably talented and passionate people behind him that helped to make me look good standing here doing interviews for four Group 1 wins out of four this preparation.

“It’s hard enough to win one Group 1 let alone a picket fence and that has been the absolute perfect Cox Plate preparation, and evidently, that’s how you win a Cox Plate.

“I can say with pride now that my team have been able to do it. I’m sure that my fellas in Vin Cox, and Ross Cole and Jason Walsh will take great confidence in bringing the Cox Plate to Dubai to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and to show him this what a horse as great as Anamoe can achieve for him. He’s got the passion to race horses like this in this country and he has the belief he has to back us and do the job.

“I had a fella give me some past DVDs of champion horses and there I am watching Nijinsky having a pick of grass after the attempt to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triompe. I’ve seen Dancing Brave, the Mill Reefs of the world.

Time to celebrate (image Grant Courtney)

“You put him in that stratosphere. He’s that good.

“We’re lucky to be a part of it and it’s a really humbling experience and the cauldron at Moonee Valley here, the centenary Cox Plate edition. It’s everything we could do to avoid the feeling of a fait de accompli because we had the right horse.

“You still need to have them in the right order and have the man on board that is riding in such superb fashion.”

It was a first Cox Plate for McDonald who said it was the race he had most wanted to win.

“It’s the one, isn’t it. Level playing field, the best of the best. It takes bravery, guts, and determination from all these horses and always it seems the best one wins,” McDonald said.

“It goes back to Greg Childs and Sunline, Bossy and Makybe Diva. Those are the race you live and dream of as a kid and now I’m living it. It’s incredible.

A memorable 100th Cox Plate (image Grant Courtney)

I was on a champion today.

“It’s been a massive build up and I felt the tension. I could cut it with a butter knife, but it is unbelievable and good to get it over and done with.

“I don’t know how Hughey Bowman did it with four of them. What a race. I’m so proud of this horse. Full credit to him. He’s unbelievable.”

Anamoe is a half-brother to Irish stakes-winner Anamba (Shamardal) and is the best of four winners from seven 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 black-type pedigree that features Group I winners Grand Armee, Yourdeel and Dealer Principal.

Anamato started her stud career in the Northern Hemisphere before repatriating in 2014. She has a yearling filly foal by Blue Point (IRE) and missed to Street Boss (USA) last spring.

Advertisment

Race Result - Ladbrokes Cox Plate Gr1 2040m

Moonee Valley Track: Heavy(8) Time: 2:10.17
1
Anamoe
- 4h Street Boss (USA) x Anamato (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: J B Mc Donald 57.5
2
0.4
I'm Thunderstruck
- 5g Shocking (AUS) x Primadonna Girl (NZ) (Edenwold (CAN))
Tnr: M Price & M Kent Jnr Rdr: M Zahra 59
3
0.6
El Bodegon
- 4h Kodiac (GB) x Al Andalyya (USA) (Kingmambo (USA))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: D Oliver 56.5
4
1.3
Zaaki
- 8g Leroidesanimaux (BRZ) x Kesara (GB) (Sadler's Wells (USA))
Tnr: Annabel Neasham Rdr: Jamie Kah 59
5
2.1
Mo'unga
- 5h Savabeel (AUS) x Chandelier (NZ) (O'Reilly (NZ))
Tnr: Annabel Neasham Rdr: N Rawiller 59
5
2.1
Alligator Blood
- 6g All Too Hard (AUS) x Lake Superior (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: Tim Clark 59
7
2.6
Mr Brightside
- 5g Bullbars (AUS) x Lilahjay (NZ) (Tavistock (NZ))
Tnr: Ben & J D Hayes Rdr: Craig Williams 59
8
2.7
Laws Of Indices
- 5h Power (GB) x Sampers (IRE) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: Annabel Neasham Rdr: John Allen 59
9
2.9
Gold Trip
- 6h Outstrip (GB) x Sarvana (FR) (Dubai Destination (USA))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: J P Spencer 59
10
3.1
Young Werther
- 5g Tavistock (NZ) x Romantic Time (NZ) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: D T O'Brien Rdr: Damian Lane 59
11
5.8
Maximal
- 5h Galileo (IRE) x Joyeuse (GB) (Oasis Dream (GB))
Tnr: J A O'Shea Rdr: B Melham 59
12
12.8
Profondo
- 4h Deep Impact (JPN) x Honesty Prevails (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: Richard Litt Rdr: C Schofield 57.5
More Reading...
Via Sistina Honoured at NSW Horse of the Year
One of the greatest seasons of all time has secured Via Sistina the TAB NSW Champion Horse of the Year award. The Chris Waller-trained mare was recognised at Racing’s Night of Champions for her outstanding performance in 2024/2025 which included equalling Winx’s record of seven Group 1s in a single season.
Vale, Naturale
On our recent trip to Victoria for the stallion parades we had the pleasure of staying at Gilgai Farm where we met the lovely Naturale, the unraced sister to Black Caviar, who had a difficult life and achieved fame and fortune as the dam of champion sire Ole Kirk.
Eighth Group Ones for Anamoe
Nothing seems beyond Anamoe, who earned an eighth Group 1 win with another flawless performance in Saturday's $600,000 Group 1 TAB Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
Sires With Winners - Friday August 29
Here is the full list of 38 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Ruling Court Dies of Laminitis
Hugely talented Justify colt Ruling Court has been a headline horse since May last year when Godolphin paid €2.3million for him at the Arqana Breeze Up Sale and he is back in the headlines overnight with the tragic news of his euthanasia due to laminitis.
G1 Plan for Kiwi Sprinter Niance
Six-year-old mare Niance will kick off a new campaign when she lines up in the Gr.1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley on Saturday week.
Damask Rose Looking to Kickstart Te Akau Melbourne Spring
Te Akau Racing are building a strong record in the Gr.3 Cockram Stakes (1200m), and they will look to continue that at Caulfield on Saturday when Damask Rose takes her place in this year’s edition.
One to Watch – Gosford
He’s big and beautiful and it looks like the patient approach might be about to pay off for this talented I Am Invincible four year-old who won on debut at Gosford on Friday.
Anamoe Claims Ninth Group 1 in George Ryder
Anamoe was made to earn his sixth Group 1 of the season and ninth overall when overcoming a three-wide run in Saturday’s $1,000,000 Group 1 The Agency George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.
Breeding to Win - 2025 G1 Memsie Stakes
The big guns step out and spring is on in earnest when the Memsie (1400m WFA) rolls around and what a cracking field we have in 2025 for the first G1 of the Southern spring with 11 runners and 10 are G1 winners!