Australia’s best horse, Anamoe, coupled with the world’s top jockey, James McDonald, in the Apollo Stakes should bring race out of the doldrums at Royal Randwick today.
While the industry is booming in so many ways, recent Sydney Saturday attendances have been sparse, a trickle compared to what was a torrent leading into the autumn majors.
Recently Matt Tripp, the bookmaking guru with a rugby league bent, was quoted as saying his latest gambling venture had 80,000 new clients. Obviously, most would be playing the horses but, alas, off course.
Anyway I’d like to gamble that punters will get top odds about Anamoe from Randwick bookmakers.
Once the live action promised by Anamoe and J-Mac would have had Doncaster Avenue – a major entrance to headquarters – overflowing with patrons seeking to be up close and personal.
There is other appeal apart from the Apollo, particularly if you fancy green two-year-olds. with added thrillseeking from a fast youngster and hot favourite from a wide gate, Learning To Fly, in the Inglis Millennium. Jockey Chad Schofield gets the opportunity to show his worth as a rocket launcher.
James Cummings celebrates the 2022 Cox Plate win of Anamoe with jockey James McDonald.Credit:Getty Images
The Apollo is a group 2 but, due to Anamoe, is superior to the corresponding group 1 Orr Stakes over the same distance, 1400 metres, at Sandown, although the favourites down south – I’m Thunderstruck and three-year-old Jacquinot – would be worthier rivals than the Godolphin topliner meets at Randwick.
Still, some rating agencies have the Orr Stakes a much tougher assignment for the Mick Price-Michael Kent stablemates, possibly on fitness probabilities. I’m Thunderstruck is resuming and Jacquinot has had the benefit of a run.
Like Anamoe, most of the opposition at Randwick are resuming after spells. Anamoe though, going on his recent barrier trial, gives the impression that James Cummings has him tuned first up to be unbeaten at his last campaign. Grandfather Bart Cummings was more inclined towards target races than winning sequences.
Maybe lack of pace for Anamoe is deduced as more of a problem than Chris Waller’s five acceptors, which are all short of their peak but bubbling with potential. Being on the best horse, J-Mac shouldn’t have any qualms about going forward.
The Orr promises to be more tactical. I’m Thunderstruck has a new navigator in Jamie Kah and jumps from nine in the 10-horse field. He is formerly a backmarker, but there is the possibility that Kah will take up a position closer to the pace. Jacquinot is better drawn at four but usually goes to the tail. They are taking on up-front types, particularly the seasoned Gentleman Roy, which will be ridden by I’m Thunderstruck’s former pilot, Mark Zahra.
It’s obviously a situation that would have intrigued Tony Bourke – “The King” – a title that wasn’t hereditary but gained by hard-earned results from quadrellas when they were a quaint new Victorian betting medium.
Bourke, 81, who wrote racing with impeccable accuracy for The Age in Melbourne for over 40 years, died early this week after enriching we who knew him.
Even in staid Melbourne, the media was rich with characters, many carrying nicknames, some cynical. Consider “The Fruit Fly” (Victoria’s biggest pest), “Little Lollies” (the chief racing writer who spouted about hundreds and thousands), “The Smiling Hangman” (the VRC chief steward) and “Peeping Pete” to tag a few.
But The King enhanced the title with style and panache. Perhaps his ancient Merc, foaled about the same time as the Ford Model T, bumped along more like a royal horse-drawn carriage en route to the races, but it was a privilege to be a passenger.
At carnival time, The King’s Sydney residence was the Sebel Town House, the stable for rock stars including Elton John as well as a bevy of turf visitors from worldwide with whom he matched bar tags. Yes, an old-style racing writer. You could bet on him.
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