Anamoe’s legion of fans would not like it over again, but the top-class son of Street Boss (USA) did enough to earn a sixth stakes success in Saturday’s $400,000 Group II Petaluma Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill.
Tommy Berry replaced an indisposed Hugh Bowman on the dual Group 1 winner and gave him an inspired ride.
It looked likely the Godolphin colt was set for a comfortable enough victory when taking control at the 200m, but the Fastnet Rock colt Hilal began to rally closer to the fence under Willie Pike to fall a half-neck short.
The Frankel gelding Converge was one and three-quarter lengths back in third.
Trained by James cummings, Anamoe advances his record to six wins four seconds and two thirds from 13 starts with earnings of $4,247,275.
“He is a beautiful horse. He arrived here second-up, he is still warming into his preparation, there is still improvement to come,” Cummings said.
“It a good win in what I think was a really solid Hobartville.
“Hugh (Bowman) was indisposed and didn’t make it. Tommy Berry didn’t have a whole lot of time to think about the race. Sometimes a change of jockey, a new set of hands and interesting things can happen.
“He was able to give him the run of the race, one out-one back, put him into the race nicely and he fended off the late challenger. But I think he is going to improve vastly when he gets back to Randwick and up to a mile will just be perfect for him.
“He was still a bit above himself in the yard today. but I identified that I thought he would need at least two runs going into the (Randwick) Guineas and we’ve stuck to that as a formula for him.
“He will arrive third-up in a couple of weeks and he won’t be three weeks between runs next start. He really relishes Randwick. and he will run very well there. I’d say he is going to look pretty good lining up in two weeks-time in that Group One.”
The ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes and Caulfield Guineas winner was the second stakes winner on the day for Darley Stud’s Street Boss (USA) after Pinstriped in the Group III CS Hayes Stakes at Flemington.
Anamoe is a half-brother to Irish stakes-winner Anamba and is the fourth winner 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 huge black type pedigree that features Group I winners Grand Armee, Yourdeel and Dealer Principal.
Anamato started her stud career in the Northern Hemisphere before being repatriated in 2014.
The daughter of Redoute’s Choice has a filly foal by Blue Point (IRE), but missed to Street Boss (USA) last spring.
