Godolphin trainer James Cummings and smooth-talking Englishman William Haggas have a lot of respect for each other’s star performers heading into Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes, but both have taken confidence from Anamoe and Dubai Honour having enjoyed ideal preparations.
Less than an hour apart on Golden Slipper day two weeks back, Dubai Honour and Anamoe went about their business in differing fashions in winning the Ranvet Stakes and George Ryder Stakes respectively.
James McDonald looks at the camera as Anamoe scores tough win in the George Ryder Stakes.Credit: Getty
They were runs both trainers wanted to see as the drawcards outclassed their rivals. The peak for both is expected to come at Randwick on Saturday.
“We are looking forward to potentially seeing Anamoe put up the grand-final performance that we’ve come to expect from him,” Cummings said. “Everything we have done this campaign has been to get ready for this day, and he will rise to the challenge.”
As Winx did before him, Anamoe has won the Apollo Stakes, the Chipping Norton Stakes and the George Ryder Stakes leading into Saturday. The most recent of those wins gave Cummings the most confidence.
“I know that Anamoe hasn’t won by the length of the straight, but he wins, and the Ryder was a great example,” he said. “If you watch the race in its entirety in the Ryder, you appreciate the amount of bottle that Anamoe has got when things don’t go perfectly for the horse.
Dubai Honour stretches away in the Ranvet StakesCredit: Getty
“I have not trained many winners at Rosehill who have sat three-and-four-wide for the trip, let alone in a group 1 weight-for-age race.
“It was the perfect lead-up for our horse for the Queen Elizabeth, where he steps up in distance and gets the opportunity to maintain the unbelievable record he’s got.”
An Anamoe win on Saturday would be a seventh group 1 for the season. But to match Winx’s single-season Australian record, he’ll have to beat an English raider in perhaps the best form of his life.
The toughness of Anamoe at Rosehill was contrasted by Dubai Honour powering home over the last 600m to destroy his Ranvet Stakes rivals by four lengths.
“I was [surprised about the nature of the win],” Haggas said.
“We felt he wanted to have a race before the Queen Elizabeth and I would have preferred a wetter track but Ryan [Moore] said he moved great and felt really good.
“[Moore] said ‘I’d be surprised if he really liked soft ground’ but his form is on soft ground. If he runs as well as he ran in the Ranvet he will be competitive. But I’m very respectful of Anamoe and the others.”
The Ranvet triumph was Dubai Honour’s first group 1 victory, as opposed to Anamoe’s nine, but everything to pointing to him being at the top of his game on Saturday.
“The team [in Australia] know exactly what they’re doing, I don’t think the horse needs to do anything quick he just needs to be fresh and well, but not too fresh, and he should hopefully run to his best,” Haggas said.
Dubai Honour has been made a $2.45 favourite. The expected arrival of rain that will ensure a heavy track at Randwick has Anamoe at $2.60. In a field of 13, punters have reduced it to two main hopes.
Cummings has followed the same routine as the spring when Anamoe won the Cox Plate at his fourth run of the preparation and has deliberately saved the step to 2000m for grand final day.
“Every time we step him up in distance he’s run an even better race,” he said. “We know that it has been part of the plan.
“We will a good test against a horse in Dubai Honour that is back in his best form.”
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