G1 Oakleigh Plate Next for Anaheed

Already a three-time Group winner before Saturday, quality sprinting filly Anaheed (3f Fastnet Rock x Rostova, by Testa Rossa) gave promise of moving to a new level this autumn when resuming from a spell to score a brilliant win in the Group II MRC Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.

Taking on older rivals, the Peter and Paul Snowden trained three year-old was a short priced favourite and won by more than a length with real authority.

Anaheed almost broke the course record with Tim Clark in the saddle, running the 1100 metres in 1:02.12, just .39s off the course record set by Here de Angels in 2010.

“I was very surprised with how she won. She came off one trial and a soft trial at that,” said Peter Snowden.

“That’s a great return today. She beat some quite good horses, some seasoned sprinters, and she beat them quite well.

“She had a good weight pull but she ran time and did it comfortably so I think there’s still a bit more to come from her this prep.”

Anaheed has shown a liking for Caulfield, winning the $500,000 Group III MRC Blue Sapphire at the track in the spring and will now target the Group I MRC Oakleigh Plate (1100m) run at handicap conditions on February 22.

“She gets nothing on her back at all and she’d have to be a lightweight chance in that,” Snowden said.

A homebred for Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum by champion sire Fastnet Rock, Anaheed advances her record to five wins from 12 starts with earnings of $1.4 million.

Anaheed is a half-sister to stakes-placed Farooq and is the best of three winners for Group I winning Testa Rossa mare Rostova, who produced a full sister to Anaheed last spring and is now in foal to Pierro.