Confidence reigns ahead of the Anamoe-Dubai Honor Showdown in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes
An Anamoe win on Saturday would be their seventh Group 1 win of the season. But to equal Winx’s Australian record in a single season, he must beat an English raider in perhaps the best shape of his life.
Anamoe’s toughness at Rosehill was contrasted by Dubai Honor, who drove home in the final 600m to demolish their Ranvet Stakes rivals by four lengths.
“I was [surprised about the nature of the win]’ Haggaz said.
“We felt he wanted to race ahead of the Queen Elizabeth and I would have preferred a wetter track but Ryan [Moore] said he was moving great and feeling really good.
“[Moore] said, “I’d be surprised if he really likes soft ground,” but his form is on soft ground. If he runs as well as Ranvet he will be competitive. But I have great respect for Anamoe and the others.”
Ranvet’s triumph was Dubai Honor’s first Group 1 win, as opposed to Anamoe’s ninth win, but everything points to him being at the top of his game on Saturday.
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“The team [in Australia] I know exactly what they’re doing, I don’t think the horse needs to do anything fast, it just needs to be fresh and healthy but not too fresh and hopefully it should be doing its best,” Haggas said.
Dubai Honor has been made the $2.45 favorite. The expected arrival of rain that will make for a tough stretch at Randwick has Anamoe at $2.60. In a field of 13, players have narrowed it down to two main hopes.
Cummings has followed the same routine as in the spring when Anamoe won the Cox Plate on his fourth run of pre-season, deliberately saving the 2000m step for the big final day.
“Every time we put him at a distance, he’s had an even better race,” he said. “We know it was part of the plan.
“We will have a good test in Dubai Honor against a horse who is back at his best.”
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