The star James Cummings-trained four-year-old Anamoe is the horse to beat second-up on Saturday with the seven-time Group 1 winner chasing more elite level glory in the Group 1 $600,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m).
Anamoe is odds-on favourite to win the 2023 Chipping Norton Stakes second-up on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.
The reigning Cox Plate hero was good first-up easily accounting for a similar field of rivals in Sydney to take out the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) fresh.
Fitter for the run with plenty of improvement still to come the James Cummings-trained son of Street Boss returns to Group 1 grade for the Chipping Norton on Saturday.
He is drawn a treat in barrier three of 12 with James McDonald, in equally imposing form again this season, continuing associations racing at Randwick to stick with Anamoe in favour of a book of rides on Blue Diamond Stakes Day in Melbourne.
The Apollo Stakes – Chipping Norton Stakes double has recently been completed by Contributer (2015) and the mighty mare Winx (2016, 2017 & 2019).
The Chipping Norton Stakes odds at Ladbrokes on Anamoe to be the next are short with the stallion into $1.70.
Anamoe won at this track and distance by three quarters of a length when second-up last time in the Group 1 George Main Stakes back in September, and he doesn’t need to improve much on his Apollo run to win again.
Drawn the rails with barrier one and occupying the second line of Chipping Norton Stakes markets at $8 is the Apollo Stakes third placed mare Fangirl.
She is one of three in the Chipping Norton Stakes field this year for Chris Waller who has dominated the race with 10 wins in the past 12 years.
Kerrin McEvoy sticks on the four-year-old daughter of Sebring who faced Anamoe plenty I the spring including a Winx Stakes second and fifth in the George Main.
Waller also prepared the Apollo runner-up Hinged who won the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) on Chipping Norton Stakes Day last year.
She is winless since that impressive Heavy (10) track victory 12 months ago but she has been competitive in plenty of other Group 1 events over the past year including thirds in the George Main and Epsom Handicap at this track and distance in the spring.
Hinged is at $11 to turn the tables and win the Chipping Norton.
Waller’s third runner is the former James Ferguson-trained European expat El Bodegon who was third to Anamoe on debut down under in the Cox Plate only a half-length beaten.
The impressive Kodiac four-year-old also kicked off his autumn in the Apollo running 4.2 lengths back ninth.
He is out to a generous quote of $18 in the Chipping Norton off that first-up performance but could show sharp improvement at a mile and has the potential to surprise a few at a price here.
The other runner under double-figures is the market mover Mo’unga for Annabel Neasham.
A few punters have taken the odds on the Savabeel five-year-old who has been backed in from $13 to $9.50 to break a notable winning drought.
Mo’unga hasn’t won since his 2021 Winx Stakes success over dual Chipping Norton Stakes winning mare Verry Elleegant (2021, 2022).
He is no stranger to top three runs in Group 1 company however and will enjoy the extra furlong here after a close fifth in the Apollo.
The 2023 Chipping Norton Stakes is set to run as Race 8 at 4:40pm (AEDT) on Saturday’s bumper 10-race Randwick card.
