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By Ray Hickson

He’s the headline act of his generation and trainer James Cummings says nothing has been left to chance for Anamoe to retain that aura first-up in Saturday’s Group 1 $750,000 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick.

Godolphin trainer James Cummings (Pic: Bradley Photos).

It’s not lost on the Godolphin head trainer that when Anamoe presented on course for his autumn debut in the Expressway Stakes he was fiery, unsettled in his stall, and sweated up noticeably before being beaten into third place.

While some of that can be attributed to the short turnaround between spring and autumn plus the conditions in the late summer he’s nonetheless wary the new season four-year-old can’t afford give away any advantage in the weight-for-age contest.

“He can be a highly energetic horse fresh up,’’ Cummings said.

“He should be able to get to the races, saddle up, canter to the barriers with enough measured attitude in order to perform to the first-up level we expect.

“He was really sweaty and above himself first-up last prep. We’ve been strategically prepared to make sure his grounding has been very solid this time.

“From what I’ve seen so far we’ve got to be quite pleased with the result we’ve got.”

Anamoe, $2.50 favourite with TAB on Thursday, started his three-year-old spring campaign by running down In The Congo to win the Run To The Rose and he took his Group 1 tally to three with wins in the Caulfield and Rosehill Guineas last season.

While he failed in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes on a heavy track Cummings, speaking on Melbourne radio, said he’ll appreciate the firmer conditions in the Winx Stakes.

He gave some insight into what Anamoe is asked to do on the Thursday morning before a race, basically maintenance work and, in the case of this race, to ensure he’s in the best place to affirm his lofty standing.

“We make sure we get a bit of extra exercise, not as much as we would do further out from the race, as we look to make sure his action is still good and he’s right where we want him,’’ Cummings said.

“He’s been (the best of his age) from a pre-Christmas two-year-old right through to an autumn three-year-old which is extremely rare in itself.

“How he is going to continue to maintain that mantle at this age is as much of a challenge for the horse as it is for the trainer.

“I like what I’ve seen from him. He is looking more measured this preparation than he has been in the past.”

Unbeaten filly In Secret emerged as an exciting prospect for Godolphin late last season with dominant wins at Hawkesbury and in the Listed Woodlands Stakes at Scone.

Cummings said the Group 2 $250,000 Darley Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) is a good measuring stick for In Secret and there’s clearly an air of confidence about her.

“She should be running a very good race first-up and hopefully she is as good as some of these other good fillies that are listed as winners of the Silver Shadow in the past,’’ he said.

Anamoe wins a trial at Warwick Farm on August 5

“She is flying along in her gallops and we’ll find out what sort of transition she’s ready to make now she is hitting the racetrack.”

How far through the Darley Princess Series the three-year-old progresses is uncertain though Cummings isn’t against pointing her towards the Group 1 Flight Stakes over 1600m at this stage.

“We appreciate that she is bred to be fast but despite that we’ve stretched other brilliant fillies out to a mile before and we’ve had success doing it,’’ he said.

“But if we think it is going to be too much of a stretch we can take stock and re-evaluate.”

In Secret was $3.30 favourite with TAB in the Silver Shadow on Thursday and she’s $8 in all-in betting on the Flight Stakes.

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