Anamoe is set to become a highly sought-after stallion in the thoroughbred breeding industry as the nine-time G1 winner prepares to start his stud duties at Kelvinside in 2023.
Godolphin Australia announced Anamoe's retirement from racing on Friday, 21 April, concluding a remarkable racing career achieving 14 victories (all at Stakes level) and eight placings from 25 starts. Under the guidance of head trainer James Cummings, Anamoe earned an impressive $12.12 million in prize money.
Anamoe, by Street Boss (USA) out of the G1-winning Redoute's Choice mare Anamato, retires from racing as only the second Australian horse to win a G1 at two, three and four years of age.
Placed in the G1 Blue Diamond and G1 Golden Slipper Stakes, Anamoe won the G1 Sires' Produce Stakes as a juvenile before returning at three to add the "stallion-making" G1 Caulfield Guineas and the G1 Rosehill Guineas.
Such performances captured the attention of racing enthusiasts worldwide and the Champion three-year-old continued his rich vein of form at four, winning six G1 races from 1,400m to 2,040m – including last year’s G1 Cox Plate.
Managing director of Godolphin Australia Vin Cox said he was delighted with Anamoe's addition to the Darley roster. He noted that his impressive record, type and pedigree would make him highly sought-after by breeders.
"It is bittersweet to see Anamoe retire from the racetrack," Cox said.
"As an iconic figure for Godolphin and the world of horse racing, he leaves a legacy that will not be forgotten and he has nothing more to prove.
"The trifecta of performance, pedigree and attitude are the most critical factors breeders consider and he possesses them all in spades.
"As he embarks on his new journey on the prestigious Darley roster, there's no doubt he is the most sought-after and exceptional stallion Australia has ever seen."
Earlier this week, Darley revealed that Anamoe would stand for $121,000, including GST for his debut season in Australia,
Head of sales at Darley Stallions, Andy Makiv, said Anamoe was "a very rare, extremely elite horse" who demanded that service fee.
"We thought in the past 20-odd years of horses at stud in Australia, horses that were somewhat equivalent to him," Makiv said.
"Horses like Lonhro, who won 11 G1s, So You Think won 10, equivalent horses who have gone to stud.
"But they didn't have Anamoe's two-year-old record.
"He was a pre-Christmas two-year-old winner, went through the Merson Cooper, the Blue Diamond series, won a Todman, probably should have won a (Golden) Slipper but for drawing very wide, then bolted in in the Sires'.
"He went on as a three-year-old and then had an amazing four-year-old season."
Makiv said there had already been a significant interest in Anamoe as a sire, even before his retirement was announced.
"These are the sort of horses that every time they win a significant race, breeders and clients will text you and say, 'can you book me a place with Anamoe when he goes to stud." Makiv said.
Makiv said a lot of thought and planning went into the formation of the stallion roster and he was proud of the amount of interest and success Darley stallions were creating.
"It's an extraordinary roster that has taken years of success from James Cummings. The success of the Godolphin broodmare band and breeding systems globally to put this roster together," he said.
"In the last few years, we've been good at producing horses like Anamoe, Bivouac, Microphone and Paulele.
"In my time at Darley, 11 or 12 years, we haven't had this collection of horses before.
