An all-important lead-up to the Group 1 $5 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) plays out at Caulfield Racecourse on Saturday with Godolphin gun Anamoe clear favourite to win this year’s Might And Power Stakes.
Anamoe is the horse to beat in Melbourne’s Might And Power Stakes 2022 on Caulfield Guineas Day this Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.
Formerly run as the Caulfield Stakes, the Group 1 $1 million Neds Might And Power (2000m) field features eight of the country’s best weight-for-age hopefuls on the path towards the Cox Plate at The Valley on October 22.
Runner-up by the barest of margins in last year’s Cox Plate, the James Cummings-trained Anamoe returns as a four-year-old in 2022 looking for atonement.
First, he runs third-up in the Might And Power chasing a hat-trick of Group 1 wins this time in after doing the Winx Stakes – George Main Stakes double in Sydney.
He gets the run of the race from barrier three up to 2000m here with hoop of the moment, James McDonald, continuing associations on the $2.40 favourite in Might And Power betting at Ladbrokes.com.au.
Anamoe returns to the Caulfield track for the first time since his Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) victory on this day last spring and Cummings is confident he can salute for the punters 12 months on.
“He’s had a really uncomplicated three weeks since his last start and he’s feeling well,” Cummings told Just Horse Racing.
“That run in the George Main topped him off beautifully to be stepping up to 2000 metres.
“All week, he’s been such a happy horse and he’s coming together beautifully.
“He’s going to arrive at Caulfield third-up from a spell in the Might And Power (and we are) confident he’s going to run a good race.”
The early Might And Power market mover dubbed the most likely to end the Anamoe winning streak is the Annabel Neasham-trained Zaaki backed in from $4.80 to $4.60.
Scratched from the Cox Plate on race morning last year as the luckless pre-post favourite, the now eight-year-old son of Leroidesanimaux has done little wrong since.
He was third behind Probabeel in this race 12 months ago before picking up a consolation Group 1 in the Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington over the Cup Carnival.
His next seven assignments have all netted top three runs including a $5 million The All-Star Mile win and third last time out second-up in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) when unable to defend his title.
Neasham also saddles-up eye-catching Underwood Stakes runner-up, Mo’unga, who looks a forgotten horse at $12 in betting considering his a proven Group 1 winner over the distance.
Alligator Blood was the surprise all-the-way Underwood Stakes winner in his first look at further than a mile, the now Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Queensland expat also returning for the Might And Power.
Drawn barrier five for Saturday with Tim Clark aboard again, Alligator Blood is steady at $6 to complete the double last achieved by Ocean Park (2012).
The Might And Power Stakes 2022 is set to run as Race 7 at 3:50pm (AEDT) on Saturday’s bumper 10-race Caulfield card.
