Winning Horse: Anamoe (Aus)
Winning Trainer: James Cummings
“That was a proper horse race, wasn’t it. I spoke to James (McDonald) about the race in detail but James was always on my wavelength with the way the race should be run.
“I just begged him, ‘don’t come wide at the 600 – don’t fall for it, wait on the horse’.
“At the top of the straight he might have been cursing my thinking that I might have made him leave this run too late, but that was a proper horse race with Alligator Blood who is capable of skipping away at weight-for-age level, a Stradbroke winner and so good in the Underwood.
“Zaaki was like burning before the turn and building up the revs and what about I’m Thunderstruck getting the perfect run through so Anamoe had to be the best horse.
“He had to be the champion and he’s a serious racehorse. I’m so rapt to see him trotting back to scale beautifully and free in his action.
“A wonderful endorsement for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed racing horses here because he’s a proper horse, that horse.
“Great credit to my team at Osborne Park. It’s the scrutiny that’s on the horse, and fair enough, and we’re all over him like a rash like we are with all our horses but his whole prep has been flawless apart from a few strides and yet they echo in the back of your mind.
“Great credit to the team who got him here in impeccable condition. I’ve never saddled up a horse in better order but I did feel when others were asking me were we going to see something special, Anamoe’s not at his best yet – he’s a run away from being at his best.
“We’re well and truly in business for his grand final.”
Did he have hesitations on the turn: “Oh no way. It was a proper horse race and I just revealed that I thought there’s no way Anamoe was putting eight lengths on this field and that’s just not the race we’re in.
“He was able to gather himself together and run a really impressive last furlong in a weight-for-age ten furlong race to demonstrate his class.
“He keeps demonstrating it, this horse. The decision Vin and Ross made to keep him in training and it’s a great endorsement for the faith we put in our horses when we know we can get it right, to back our judgment and to carry on.
“No doubt in my mind that he continues to raise his profile and he’s going to be one of our most sought after horses going to stud since Bivouac which feels like five minutes ago.”
Winning Jockey: James McDonald
The roar of the crowd: “He deserves it, the horse. He’s a great racehorse. He had to lift off the canvas today. It’s probably the proudest I’ve every been for him. Everything has been pretty easy for him, but I was wondering at the 400 (metres) if he was going to be there for me and he was there in spades. He’s a great horse.”
Wondering at 400m. At the 200m?: “I was improving but I was going to need those horses to come back to me a tad. I think he just crabbed around Caulfield, I really do. I would have lost two or three lengths on the bend. I was right up the clacker of Zaaki and then I ended up drifting right back. It wasn’t until we balanced up, stretched, he’s a champion racehorse.”
Two weeks time the Cox Plate. Improvement?: “Experience. A young galloper. Obviously he’s been here before and won the Guineas. Hopefully that triggers his mind and the extra 40 metres is perfect.”
In front of a big crowd: “We won’t dodge that he has to go to another level, but at least we know he’s going to be there when the whips are cracking and if push comes to shove, he’ll find a bit. That’s what was most impressive in today’s victory.”
Beaten jockeys:
Jamie Kah (Zaaki): “Really, really happy with him. I think he’s almost back to his best.”
Mark Zahra (I’m Thunderstruck): “Very gallant in defeat. My eyes lit up when he didn’t make the bend, I thought it was our race to win but he’s probably the best horse in Australia, isn’t he, so a bit stiff to be run down by him.”
Tim Clark (Alligator Blood): “He ran really well. He wasn’t beaten far. He’s racing in good form against all of those horses.”
Craig Williams (Mr Brightside): “Delighted with his performance. It’s a shame I couldn’t’ be one spot closer because I thought I’d have an effective horse if I was one spot closer. Then we arguably we would have been fighting out the finish. He has a good two weeks going into the Cox Plate. He’s going to be a great chance.”
Damien Oliver (Mo’unga): “He ran well. I would have liked to have settle a little bit closer, but he just didn’t have the speed. I was really happy with the way he finished it off.”
Jordan Childs (Nonconformist): “Very happy with that. It was a nice tune up going into next week.”
Damian Lane (Benaud): “Really good run. He’s going to appreciate dropping in weight next weekend and out to 2400 metres.”
