Tough filly Anaheed showed plenty of fight to hold on to win the Group 2 $1m Camera House Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) on Day Two of The Championships at Randwick today.
Anaheed, above in yellow colours, holds on to win the 2019 Percy Sykes Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Anaheed ($8.50) showed her liking for the open spaces of Randwick and claimed her third win at the track when she was able to survive the challenge of the fast finishing Flit ($6).
Tim Clark had Anaheed travelling keenly outside the leader and stablemate Cheer Leader ($4.40 favourite) in the early and middle stages but still had plenty in reserve for the run home.
Anaheed fought off the Peter and Paul Snowden trained stablemate half way down the straight and then had a nose to spare over Flit who came with a flashing run from the tail of the field.
Third placegetter Villami ($10) also found the line strongly after racing just behind the speed while Cheer Leader faded in the run to the line to finish sixth.
Anaheed showed plenty of ability in the lead up to the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on March 23 with a win in the Group 2 $200,000 Liberty International Underwriters Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on March 2.
The Fastnet Rock filly was then set for the Percy Sykes Stakes after finishing a handy sixth to Kiamichi in the Golden Slipper.
Flit was the first of James Cummings’ five fillies to greet the judge ahead of her stablemates Athiri (4th), Pin Sec (5th), Badia (7th) and Kiamichi (10th).
Co-trainer Paul Snowdern was quick to acknowledge the toughness of Anaheed who was having her fifth start this preparation.
“It’s a testament to her toughness. We left it right up until Tuesday morning. The two fillies worked together and there was a cigarette paper between them. They both applied themselves quite nicely in their work,” Paul Snowden said.
“We were more than happy to run but she had to do a little bit of work mid-race in the first three sections. What she has been able to do is quite remarkable in a long preparation.”
“I always thought she was going to be a better three year old. She won her first stakes race on Everest day and here we are now.”
“She certainly gets the job done anyway. It’s been a good race for us. We won it last year with Pure Elation. It stamps itself as a nice filly’s race for progressive horses. We hope she is so.”
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