The best middle-distance horses in the land turned up for Saturday’s $1,000,000 Group 1 Neds Might And Power Stakes (2000m) and it was a race for the ages.
Supporters of the favourite Anamoe had plenty to worry about on the turn for home when the son of Street Boss (USA) came off the bridle and looked to be struggling.
With James McDonald in the saddle, Anamoe began to rally and in a gripping final 100 metres found enough to defeat I'm Thunderstruck (Shocking) by a long-head, with Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux) the same distance back in third.
It was the sixth win at the highest level for the Godolphin homebred advancing his record to ten wins, five seconds, and two thirds from 19 starts with earnings of $6,441,025.
The quivering voice of James Cummings conveyed what it meant for the team.
“That was a proper horse race, wasn’t it. I spoke to James (McDonald) about the race in detail, but James was always on my wavelength with the way the race should be run,” Cummings said.
“I just begged him, ‘don’t come wide at the 600 - don’t fall for it, wait on the horse’.
“At the top of the straight, he might have been cursing that I might have made him leave this run too late, but that was a proper horse race with Alligator Blood, who is capable of skipping away at weight-for-age level, a Stradbroke winner and so good in the Underwood.
“Zaaki was like burning before the turn and building up the revs, and what about I’m Thunderstruck getting the perfect run through, so Anamoe had to be the best horse
“He had to be the champion, and he’s a serious racehorse. I’m so rapt to see him trotting back to scale beautifully and free in his action.
“A wonderful endorsement for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed racing horses here because he’s a proper horse, that horse.
“Great credit to my team at Osborne Park. It’s the scrutiny that’s on the horse, and fair enough, and we’re all over him like a rash like we are with all our horses but his whole prep has been flawless apart from a few strides, and yet they echo in the back of your mind.
“Anamoe’s not at his best yet - he’s a run away from being at his best.
“We’re well and truly in business for his grand final.
“He keeps demonstrating it, this horse. The decision Vin and Ross made to keep him in training and it’s a great endorsement for the faith we put in our horses when we know we can get it right, to back our judgment and to carry on.
“No doubt in my mind that he continues to raise his profile and he’s going to be one of our most sought after horses going to stud since Bivouac which feels like five minutes ago.”
McDonald said Anamoe needed to be a champion to win.
“He’s a great racehorse. He had to lift off the canvas today,” McDonald enthused.
“It’s probably the proudest I’ve ever been for him. Everything has been pretty easy for him, but I was wondering at the 400 (metres) if he was going to be there for me and he was there in spades. He’s a great horse.”
Anamoe is a half-brother to Irish stakes-winner Anamba (Shamardal) and is the best of four winners 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 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.
The daughter of Redoute's Choice has a yearling filly foal by Blue Point (IRE) but missed to Street Boss (USA) last spring.
