Godolphin great Anamoe was the true professional fresh easily accounting for his rivals first-up to get his autumn carnival underway with a bang in the Apollo Stakes 2023 results.

Anamoe got his autumn underway in style with a win as the odds-on favourite in the 2023 Apollo Stakes at Randwick. Photo: Steve Hart.

It was an easy watch for favourite backers and fans of the James Cummings-trained son of Street Boss who was given a perfectly timed ride by champion hoop James McDonald in this year’s Group 2 $250,000 Apollo Stakes (1400m).

Both horse and hoop knew exactly what it would take to win with J-Mac going forward aboard the odds-on fancy, getting cover one out one back and moving up to control the race in the final stages.

After trying to lead all-the-way in an upset the Chris Waller-trained mare Hinged was good holding for second behind the standout winner.

The fellow Waller-trained mare Fangirl, who was the only other runner at single-figures in Apollo Stakes betting, was also strong making up the ground from second last to finish third late.

The top-liner Anamoe took his career earnings up over $10.76 million when celebrating his first victory since securing a fourth Group 1 win on the trot in the Ladbrokes Cox Plate last October.

“He did it in the Cox Plate, I shouldn’t say that because he was all out, he was doing his best. But today I really felt him just clock off with 150m to go. Trying to encourage him and he’s only just put a half a length on Hinged. But great horse Hinged, Fangirl in third, it’s a proper race,” McDonald told the media post-win. 

“He’s a phenomenal horse and the reason being he’s got an amazing demeanour and conserves energy in the race like no horse I’ve ever ridden.

“He doesn’t spend a penny. As a two-year-old he used to have a wow factor, putting a field away. But as these stallions get older, he’s lost that.”

Cummings agreed calling this year’s Apollo a “proper weight for age race”.

“It was a proper weight for age race wasn’t it? He goes out, he comes back, he goes through the preliminaries and you’ve just got to keep having the faith. What a player,” the winning trainer said. 

“He just comes back better again, a mature horse. He sweated up on a hot day,12 months ago he wasn’t handling that but today he handled that far better.”

Anamoe again showed the qualities of an out-and-out champion horse beating them without a flogging ahead of bigger autumn targets over the coming months.

“James McDonald made it look absolutely painless,” Cummings said.

“He allowed him to use his ability to be prominent in these weight for age races and he was terrific.

“Very proud of Anamoe and it’s great for the team to have the big horse back. There’s a lot we can look forward to.”

The likely next-up option for Anamoe is now the Group 1 $600,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) back at the track on February 25.

“The Chipping Norton looks the nice progression for him. Here in two weeks and he’ll be ready to fire again,” Cummings confirmed.

Contributer (2015) and Winx (2016, 2017 & 2019) are the latest to complete the Apollo Stakes – Chipping Norton Stakes double.

Updated all-in 2023 Chipping Norton Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au have Anamoe at an already odds-on quote of $1.80 to be the next with full markets available here.

2023 Apollo Stakes Results & Finishing Order

Table Credit: Racing Australia.