Superstar stallion Anamoe returned to The Valley with unfinished business for the centenary edition of the Group 1 $5 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) and came away victorious 12 months on from his devastatingly close defeat last spring.

Anamoe was huge saluting for the punters in the 2022 Ladbrokes Cox Plate at Moonee Valley. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

As a three-year-old on the back of a Caulfield Guineas triumph last year Anamoe went down the barest of margins to Irish raider State Of Rest in the Cox Plate results of 2021, and he failed to win the event on protest.

He proved his champion status in 2022 however, making it four Group 1 wins on the trot this campaign and saluting for the punters in the 100^th edition of the Australasian weight-for-age championship.

“He’s a beautiful horse,” an emotional trainer James Cummings told Racing.com after the victory.

“He’s been a pleasure to train.

“That’s a proper horse race, the best horse race I’ve had anything to do with.

“It’s a humbling experience for me, and I’m just grateful I can have anything to do with a horse as great as Anamoe.”

Jockey James McDonald was left without a Cox Plate mount last year when race favourite Zaaki was controversially scratched the morning of, but he too atoned getting the job done off a 10/10 ride this year.

It was Zaaki leading the Cox Plate field around this time, while McDonald had Anamoe settled in the perfect spot one off the fence in fourth throughout.

Finding the right spot, McDonald timed his run ideally moving closer approaching the 300m.

Anamoe joined in at the top of the straight taking the lead inside the final furlong and powering home to secure the Cox Plate trophy.

In an enormous second, I’m Thunderstruck was huge again coming from the back with a weaving run to hit the line just ahead of the imported El Bodegon in third for the event’s four-time winning trainer Chris Waller and Zaaki who held for fourth.

Anamoe won the Winx Stakes – George Main Stakes double in Sydney to kick off his spring before success in Caulfield’s Might And Power last start and now the Cox Plate.

“The truth is he’s just had a gun preparation,” McDonald said.

“My team have come together in phenomenal fashion to have him arrive in absolute perfect shape.

“Half-way through the race I couldn’t help but feel very calm about it…everything went to script.

“The horse was in absolute mint condition to perform.

“The right horses have run second and third, so it’s a proper Cox Plate and it’s humbling to be winning it.

“Four Group 1 wins out of four this preparation! It’s hard enough o win one Group 1 let alone a picket fence.

“This horse….he’s just that good.

“There’s Anamoe. Four out of four this preparation and now a Cox Plate winner.”

For last year’s Melbourne Cup winning jockey James McDonald, the Cox Plate result was a dream come true for the now 72-time Group 1 rider.

“It’s the best isn’t it, it’s the weight-for-age championship,” he said.

“It’s the best horses assembled and I was on a champion today.

“It’s been a big build-up. The Ladbrokes Cox Plate. It’s unbelievable.

“Especially on this horse.

“I felt the tension, I could cut it with a butter knife. It’s good to get it over and done with.

“I don’t know how Hughie (Bowman) did it with four of them (on Winx)! What a race.

“Full credit to this racehorse. He’s incredible.”

The world now awaits Anamoe next year, but first he could head to Flemington in a fortnight for the Group 1 $3 million Champions Stakes (2000m) – formerly the Mackinnon Stakes – on November 5.

The latest all-in 2022 Champions Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au have the Cox Plate winner at $2.40 to do the double just ahead of last year’s winner Zaaki at $4.20 with full markets available here.

2022 Cox Plate Results & Finishing Order

Table Credit: Racing Australia