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The Golden Rose will be the fork in the TAB Everest road for Godolphin’s star colt Anamoe with trainer James Cummings happy to keep an open mind for now as to whether he should mix it with the nation’s best sprinters or stick to his own age.
Anamoe emerged as potentially Godolphin's new flagbearer, with the retirement of multiple Group 1 winner and Everest placegetter Bivouac, after the runaway Group 1 Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) win in April that followed his outstanding second in the Golden Slipper.
James Cummings elected not to press on to the Champagne Stakes, ultimately won by Captivant, despite being a long odds-on favourite with the colt to focus on the impending spring.
"He's back in light training, we're keeping him nice and warm,'' Cummings said.
"We're looking forward to seeing him resuming, I think we'll be running him first-up in September. I'd say he's a sprinter-miler. He certainly looks like he would have most bases covered."
The colt is an $11 chance in TAB's all-in Everest market and Godolphin is a slot holder so he doesn't need to impress anyone else to gain a start.
He shares top billing in the Golden Rose betting at $4.50 with Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside.
Cummings said the Group 2 $200,000 Run To The Rose (1200m) on September 11 would be Anamoe's likely kick off while the $1m Golden Rose (1400m) is run two weeks later.
He regards Anamoe as arguably the most exciting horse in the stable heading into the spring and at this early stage of his preparation says he "hasn't taken a backward step".
"He's a last start winner of the Sires' Produce, he has a very exciting amount of acceleration,'' he said.
"He has plenty of energy left from his two-year-old campaign and we're well and truly looking forward to seeing what he can produce as a classic three-year-old."
While expectations are high for Anamoe, Cummings said there are a number of promising rising three-year-olds that are a little more advanced in their training and likely to return to racing in August.
They include Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper placegetter Ingratiating, Canonbury Stakes winner Zethus and Kindergarten Stakes winner Paulele.
Meanwhile, Cummings is keeping his options open about last year's ATC Oaks and Golden Eagle winner Colette's spring targets and isn't ruling out heading back to a staying preparation.
Colette was restricted to races at a mile and below last spring and after winning the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) first-up in the autumn she didn't race beyond 2000m and her campaign culminated with a fourth in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m).
"I think we will continue to target the longer races and we can re-evaluate as we step up in trip,'' he said.
"I wouldn't give up on her over the longer trips yet. She got outsprinted at the end of the carnival last time.
"Getting the opportunity to step out over a mile and a half again would be really interesting."
