KEY POINTS:
Group One-winning filly Anamato impressed trainer David Hayes when she galloped strongly between races at Moonee Valley in Melbourne yesterday in preparation for next month's American Oaks.
Ridden by John Didham, she stalked stablemate Mercia over 1600m and made up more than two lengths to shade her at the finish, running home her last 400m in 23.59 seconds.
"She switched off a bit and did her work well," Hayes said. "What I wanted to do was give her a hard hitout because she hasn't run for a long time."
Anamato has won four of her 17 starts and will be flown to America next Sunday.
She was invited to contest the Group One $US750,000 ($1,012,280) American Oaks (2000m) at Hollywood Park on July 7 after her last-start win in the Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville on April 21.
Randwick is the latest racing casualty of wild weather throughout New South Wales with yesterday's meeting called off.
The provincial programme at Hawkesbury on Thursday was the first to be abandoned ahead of Friday night's harness racing meeting at Harold Park in Sydney. Yesterday's Newcastle meeting was called off on Friday.
Late last night tomorrow's Warwick Farm meeting in Sydney was still to go ahead.
- AAP
