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By Ray Hickson

The prospect of a heavy track was factored into Anamoe’s program into Saturday’s Group 1 $1m Mostyn Copper Randwick Guineas (1600m) so trainer James Cummings says the colt has been perfectly prepared.

If anyone was wondering why the star three-year-old kicked off his campaign at the end of January, Cummings said it’s because he suspected Anamoe would need to have plenty of groundwork put into him for a testing mile.

Anamoe, the $1.80 favourite with TAB on Thursday, resumed in the Expressway Stakes (1200m), running third to Overpass and Forbidden Love, before returning to his own age for a gritty win in the Hobartville Stakes (1400m) two weeks ago.

“I identified early on this campaign that he would seriously benefit from two lead up runs to be ready for the Randwick Guineas,’’ Cummings said.

“And I can see physically in the horse that those races have offered some benefit which is only going to help as we edge towards racing on a bottomless track.

“The horses are going to need to be very fit to be running well on the weekend and whilst he has never seen a heavy track, he has excellent soft track form.

Anamoe wins the Hobartville Stakes at Rosehill

“This horse has the ability to let down powerfully on rain-affected tracks.”

Anamoe has won both appearances at Randwick, including the Todman Stakes at this meeting last year, and arguably his most powerful win came at headquarters on a soft 7 track in the Inglis Sires’ (1400m).

He put three lengths on one of his main Guineas rivals, Hilal, in that race and while the margin was much closer a fortnight ago Cummings said he has conditions to suit.

“The Randwick Guineas has been a target race this preparation,’’ he said.

“Arriving here, third-up in excellent form having won the city lead up, the Hobartville last start at Rosehill, he now switches to his preferred course where he was so impressive in winning the ATC Sires’ Produce and that was off the back of two starts before winning the time-honoured Todman Stakes.

“In essence, not only is he in top form but he is two from two at Randwick and he is going to relish getting back to that track.”

The Hobartville has been a reliable guide to the Guineas winner with The Autumn Sun (2019), Kementari (2018), Hallowed Crown (2015) and Dissident (2014) all completing the double in recent years.

On the two-year-old front, Cummings and Godolphin are represented by just Ojai in the Group 2 $300,000 Yarraman Park Reisling Stakes (1200m).

Cummings is upbeat about her chances on the back of two runs since she ran third in the Golden Gift behind Sejardan back in early November.

“After finishing fourth, only two lengths away, in the Silver Slipper Stakes Ojai looks well-conditioned to step up to this six-furlong test against some of the best two-year-old fillies,” he said.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Randwick meeting