Chris Waller‘s talented mare Fangirl had to settle for her third straight placing behind Godolphin hero Anamoe this campaign with an exciting finish to the George Ryder Stakes 2023 on Golden Slipper Day.
Anamoe is onto the Queen Elizabeth Stakes off a gutsy win in the 2023 George Ryder Stakes on Slipper Day. Photo: Steve Hart.
Champions always find a way to win and that is exactly what the James Cummings-trained Street Boss four-year-old Anamoe had to do in this year’s Group 1 $1 million George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.
Ridden by James McDonald the now nine-time Group 1 winning galloper found himself caught three-wide throughout never getting to the inside.
The $1.80 odds-on elect was forced four and five wide around the home turn, but still managed to get to the line first having worked his way right down the outside the closing stages and salute for the punters.
Electric Girl led the George Ryder Stakes field around and was still in the lead 300m out on the straight.
Converge however off an on-speed run challenged and briefly hit the front at 40/1 for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott before class rose to the top.
J. Mac lifted late on the James Cummings-trained star with Anamoe getting into the lead and holding off Fangirl who flew home to make up all the ground and run a tight second again off placings in the Group 2 Apollo (2nd) and Group 1 Chipping Norton (3rd).
Converge held for third, while the George Ryder first four was completed by the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Canterbury Stakes winner Artorius who was also very good late racing through the line.
With the George Ryder Stakes result Anamoe has set up a super showdown for April 8 at Randwick in the Group 1 $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) with William Haggas‘ UK raider Dubai Honour.
“It was looking like he was going to force us to be wide throughout, but at least he was going to be wide and out of trouble and James (McDonald) was ultimately very calm about that, which is the way he needed to be,” Cummings told the media post-victory.
“But on a hot day like today, to get through this and to go undefeated this preparation in the lead up to the Queen Elizabeth is ideal.
“He’s had that tough run now at the 1500m, which is a race we deliberately kept him a little bit sharper for.
“But now he can step up to a mile and a quarter and look great in three weeks when we step him up in distance.
“It could be an entirely different scenario in three weeks’ time too, it could be an entirely different sort of day.
“Maybe very different track conditions. But this horse Anamoe, he’s never disappointed me once when we step him up in distance. He’s always run a blinder and I’d expect a similar thing from him in three weeks. But that’s (today’s race) a time honoured race packed full of quality opposition and for him to sit three and four wide throughout and still come away and be strongest on the line is a great credit to Anamoe.
“It’s another fantastic mile Group 1 that is added to his glittering resume already. He’s a beautiful stallion this horse.”
The two weight-for-age elite level Slipper Day winners now dominate all-in Queen Elizabeth Stakes 2023 betting at Ladbrokes with Anamoe narrow $2.50 favourite ahead of Dubai Honour at $3.
