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Anamoe secures his seventh G1 victory for Godolphin

Dave Murray

Godolphin star Anamoe proved his greatness by winning the G1 Cox Plate at The Valley on Saturday, 22 October and now could be given an opportunity to join Hall Of Fame gallopers Rising Fast and So You Think.

After notching his seventh G1 victory by holding off I’m Thunderstruck and Irish galloper El Bodegon in the weight-for-age championship over 2,040m, Anamoe could line up in the newly named G1 VRC Champions Stakes (2,000m) at Flemington on 5 November.

Rising Fast and So You Think are the only gallopers in history to complete the Caulfield Stakes-Cox Plate-Mackinnon Stakes treble.

Head trainer James Cummings won’t rush a decision to run the four-year-old and will assess Anamoe early next week.

Narrowly and controversially beaten in the Cox Plate last year as a three-year-old, Anamoe made amends and proved he was the best horse in Australia with a fighting performance.

Jockey James McDonald rode a brilliant race, parking Anamoe in fourth place before peeling three-wide at the 500m to chase leading pair Zaaki and Alligator Blood.

Anamoe grabbed the lead at the top of the short home straight and then held the backmarkers to record his 11th win (all at Stakes level) from 20 starts for prize money earnings of a massive $9,441,025.

“He's the best horse I've had anything to do with, it's a humbling experience for me, it's got me a little lost for words," Cummings said.

“The right horses have run second and third, so it's a proper Cox Plate.”

Anamoe, who also became Godolphin’s most prolific G1 winner - edging clear of Daylami and Fantastic Light, has now won four G1 races from four starts this preparation.

“I was on a champion today, I’m not going to lie, it's been a big build-up,” said McDonald.

“I felt the tension, you could cut it with a butter knife.

“It’s good to get it over with. I don't know how Hughie Bowman got through it with four (Winx) of them.”

It was the first Cox Plate win for both Cummings and McDonald.

At Royal Randwick in Sydney, Golden Mile returned in great style by winning the G2 Callander-Presnell over 1,600m with champion jockey Hugh Bowman in the saddle.

Bowman settled the last-start G1 Caulfield Guineas winner in midfield before challenging the leaders at the top of the Randwick rise.

The three-year-old colt then proved too strong for Communist to win by a short neck, with A Lot More Love a distant third.

Assistant trainer Darren Beadman likened Golden Mile to his sire, Astern, and said he gave no instructions to Bowman.

“I left it open for Hughie to back his judgement with the horse and have confidence in the horse, the horse has got a great turn of foot,” Beadman said.

“He is a very fit, seasoned horse and he has come out of that Caulfield Guineas win in superb order.

“His fighting spirit got him home today after he worked into the race nicely.

“You would swear blind that you were saddling up Astern in the stalls, he’s got dad’s head all over with a lovely temperament.

“He’s a quality colt who is certainly going places.”

Bowman said Golden Mile had travelled sweetly to the home turn and he always thought the colt would prove too good.

“He has shown it all prep, he has been a model of consistency,” the jockey said.

“He showed what he’s capable of with a dominant win in what would appear to be a pretty strong Caulfield Guineas this year.”

Golden Mile has now won four races and been placed once for prize money of $2,596,500.

Earlier at Randwick, the Cummings-trained Barber made a winning debut in the Kirkham Plate (1,000m) for two-year-olds with Blake Shinn in the saddle.

He was Exceed And Excel’s 557th juvenile winner worldwide.