Anamoe’s spring campaign under injury cloud after returning lame from George Main win
The spring campaign of superstar entire Anamoe (Street Boss) looked to be in doubt last night after he was reported to have finished lame (3/5) in his off-foreleg after he added a fifth Group 1 success to his glittering CV when coming home a ready winner of the George Main Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) at Randwick yesterday.
Positively ridden by James McDonald, the four-year-old travelled best of the nine-runner field and exerted his dominance in the final 200 yards, finishing an eased down three-quarters of a length ahead of Icebath (Sacred Falls), with Hinged (Worthy Cause) a further half-length back in third.
Attention will now be turned toward how the son of Street Boss (Street Cry) comes through the next few days, with subsequent test results set to decide whether the four-year-old entire can continue his racing career.
“A post-race veterinary examination revealed Anamoe to be lame (3/5) in the off-foreleg. Trainer Mr J. Cummings advised that the stable experienced no issues with the horse in the lead-up to today’s race,” the stewards report read.
“Mr Cummings advised that Anamoe would now be subject to a veterinary inspection on return to the stables, the results of which he would forward to the stewards. Mr Cummings was advised that a veterinary clearance will be required before Anamoe is permitted to race/barrier trial again.”
Coming into the race on the back of a first-up win in the Winx Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m), Anamoe (4 h ex Anamato by Redoute’s Choice) took his tally to two wins from two starts this campaign leaving winning trainer James Cummings delighted with his performance.
Speaking before the news of Anamoe’s setback broke, Cummings said: “He’s just a wonderful horse. He [McDonald] understands the horse well; he’s riding in great form.
“That’s going to be the perfect stepping stone for him, and he’s been able to pick up two important weight-for-age Group 1s. He keeps lifting his value and profile and gets more attention on him, which is very fitting for a wonderful horse.
“He is the king of his own box; his box is his kingdom. Same for a paddock that we put him in, but he can have a pick of grass after a gallop and look like Nijinsky after the Arc or Dancing Brave after one of the Classics.
“He’s a beautiful horse to have anything to do with and it’s just a privilege for us to be racing a horse like Anamoe for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and he’s a very promising horse for our whole operation.”
Taking his career tally to nine wins from 18 starts, including five seconds and two third-placed efforts, Anamoe has amassed earnings of $5,837,275.
The best of four winners from six to race out of the Australasian Oaks (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Anamato (Redoute’s Choice), Anamoe is a half-brother to stakes winner Anamba (Shamardal).