Scott Darby and his team at Darby Racing have a happy knack for finding real value at a sale and a blueblood three year-old Galileo colt they purchased from Coolmore at the 2022 Tattersalls Horse in Training for Sale for just 60,000 guineas looks very much a horse on the up.
A winner at two when trained by Aidan O’Brien, Our Anchorage closed out his juvenile season with a third in the Group III Eyrefield Stakes at Leopardstown behind Duke de Sessa (IRE), who is also now in Australia and won the Group I MRC Caulfield Cup last year for Ciaron Maher.
Our Anchorage had four more starts in Group and Listed company at three, but after failing to place in any of them found himself being offered for sale with Darby on the advice of De Burgh Equine swooping in to offer him a fresh start in Australia.
Since joining the Bjorn Baker stable and being gelded, Our Anchorage has quietly made good progress before hitting form this year to reel off four successive wins culminating with his first stakes victory. Ridden by Ash Morgan, Our Anchorage went out favourite and scored a neck win in the Group III ATC Parramatta Cup (1900m).
“He's been remarkable, there's a big team behind this, firstly Darby are sourcing such good horses and my team at home are doing a great job. Luke's being particularly important in finding out how to get the best out of this guy and I thought it was a great ride by Ash Morgan. He's a smooth rider, he's a big time rider, his second win today and he's going to cement himself at home in Sydney city,” said Bjorn Baker, who has more stakes goals in mind for Our Anchorage.
"You just keep believing and hoping and we'll just see where we end up. He is nominated for the Sydney Cup and I think over a bit further he might be better again."
With six wins from 21 starts, Our Anchorage is the 385th stakes-winner worldwide for the mighty Galileo and is the best of two winners from unraced Aga Khan Studs bred Vanzara, a half-sister by Redoute’s Choice to Group I winner Vazira and Vadawina, the grand-dam of Champion European 3YO Colt Vadeni.
