It has been billed as a match race for the ages and Queen Elizabeth Stakes joint favourites Anamoe and Dubai Honour will be even hard to separate out of the machine.
The barrier draw for the rich 2000m contest took place in the Winx stand at Royal Randwick on Tuesday morning with Godolphin’s nine-time Group 1 winner Anamoe drawing gate eight and rival Dubai Honour set to jump right alongside him in gate nine.
The market has these two cleared out at equal $2.50 picks with Japanese-based raider Unicorn Lion (barrier 13) next elect at $11.
Anamoe kicked off his campaign with a strong victory in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes before equally arrogant displays saluting in the Group 1 Chipping Norton and Group 1 George Ryder.
UK representative Dubai Honour could not have been more impressive taking out the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes by over four lengths at his Australian debut on March 18 and trainer William Haggas believes the son of Pride Of Dubai has taken even further benefit from that first-up effort. With rain forecast for most of the week leading up to the race, the track is looking to play in the Soft to Heavy range.
“He looks really well. We were very happy with him when we left home and he’s continued to thrive, I think he looks great,” Haggas said.
“His form in England suggests he is (better on a rain-affected surface), but we’ll see.”
Despite having not yet seen the James Cummings-trained Anamoe race in the flesh, Haggas is full of respect for the winner of 14 races and over $11.7 million in earnings.
“He’s a great horse. He’s won eight or nine Group 1 races, not many can do that anywhere in the world,” Haggas said.
“We look forward to taking him on. It’ll be a great race, so it should be for the prize money on offer.”
On the third line of betting are Cascadian and Montefilia, both $15, who drew gates five and 11 respectively in the 13 horse field.
The second barrier draw to take place on Tuesday morning was for the time-honoured $2 million Sydney Cup with no less than 20 runners set to compete over the gruelling two mile journey.
Early market leader Cleveland ($3.50) has his work cut out for him from gate 17, but jockey Kerrin Mcevoy has been taken with what he has shown since landing on our shores. The five-year-old Camelot entire put the writing on the wall with a slashing first-up fifth in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes over 2400m on March 25 and won’t know himself dropping 8kgs to 51kg under handicap conditions.
“It was a great run. First time out at weight for age and he really held his own,” McEvoy said.
“It was pleasing to see him do that off the plane, landing here and first run in Australia. My first impressions were that he’s just going to improve nicely off the back of that. He should be there cherry-ripe on Saturday.
“He’s won at further than 3200m, the trip will be no problems. He’s won with a bit of cut in the ground. If it stays on the soft side I’m not too worried about that as well.
“Just pleased with the way the horse has raced and the way he’s seemed to have settled in since he’s landed here in Australia.”
The only other runner in single figures on Tuesday morning was the Mark Newnham-prepared King Frankel ($8.50) who jumps from the middle of the pack in gate 11. There next four in betting at $11 have all drawn poorly. Gold Trip (barrier 16), Baron Samedi (barrier 20), High Emocean (barrier 19) and Gin Martini (barrier 18).
This weekend’s ten race card also plays host to a further two Group 1’s, the $1 million Australian Oaks for three-year-old fillies and the $1 million Queen Of The Turf over the famous Randwick mile.
