The James Cummings-trained Anamoe is the odds-on favourite to continue his winning ways second-up in the Group 1 $1 million Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) this weekend at Rosehill Gardens.
Anamoe headlines the 2021 Golden Rose Stakes field on Saturday. Photo: Martin King.
A field of 13 smart three-year-olds is engaged for the Golden Rose Stakes in 2021 with markets at Ladbrokes.com.au dominated by Street Boss colt in the Royal Blue for Godolphin.
The stable enjoyed success two years ago with Bivouac completing the Run To The Rose – Golden Rose double and on Saturday Anamoe looks to repeat the same feat.
Winner of the Group 1 Inglis Sires’ (1400m) over the distance at Randwick in the autumn, the gun youngster resumed on September 11 at Kembla Grange and narrowly saluted in the Group 2 Run To The Rose (1200m).
Fitter for the run and up to 1400m he looks a hard to beat favourite with two-time Golden Rose winning jockey James McDonald in the saddle from barrier eight.
Also out of the Run To The Rose trifecta looking to turn the tables are the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained runner-up In The Congo – winner of the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes two back – and the well-supported third placegetter Remarque for Hawkes Racing.
Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes are chasing back-to-back wins in the classic having run the quinella in 2020 with Ole Kirk and North Pacific.
Bringing a different form line into the event is the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Artorius coming off two good Melbourne runs.
The Flying Artie colt defeated Anamoe (3rd) as a juvenile in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes and chases his first victory since.
He was a midfield sixth in the Golden Slipper at Rosehill in March, a race Anamoe finished runner-up in, so needs to prove he can be as brilliant the Sydney way of racing.
Anamoe was narrowly defeated when runner-up in both the Group 3 H.D.F. McNeil Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield and the Listed Exford Plate (1400m) at Flemington this time in with 59.5kg and comes back to 56.5kg at set weights on Saturday.
Star Sydney-based horseman Chris Waller has enjoyed two previous Golden Rose wins with Zoustar (2013) and The Autumn Sun (2018).
He returns this year saddling-up two last start winners with Group 3 Ming Dynasty winner Coastwatch and Listed Dulcify Quality winner Giannis both presenting as livewire dangers at big odds.
“Coastwatch is in good form albeit through the second-tier races and Giannis was very good fresh-up, he looks the big improver,” Waller said on Sky Thoroughbred Central this week.
There are also two fillies taking on the boys in this year’s Golden Rose field with the Robert & Luke Price-trained Furious Stakes winner Jamaea and Startantes up notably in grade chasing a fourth win on the trot for Brisbane’s Robert Heathcote.
Forensics in 2008 was the last Golden Rose Stakes winning filly.
The 2021 Golden Rose Stakes is scheduled to run as Rosehill Race 8 at 4:05pm (AEST) on Saturday’s card.