Back-to-back wins for in-form Anthracite

New Zealand-bred gelding Anthracite (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) continues to go from strength to strength in his career-best campaign this spring, scoring another tough victory in the A$160,000 Robrick Lodge Filante Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.

Anthracite has turned his $1200 price tag as a yearling into close to A$400,000 in stakes, with six wins and five placings from a 14-race career.

The six-year-old has found a particularly rich vein of form since joining the Warwick Farm stable of trainer Joe Pride for his latest preparation.

His first start for Pride produced a third over 1300m on Randwick’s Kensington track in late July, and his seven appearances since then have produced three wins, a second, two thirds and a fourth. He broke the class record when he scored a tenacious all-the-way win over 2000m at Rosehill on October 10.

Two weeks later at Randwick on Saturday, he dropped back in distance to 1600m and stepped up in class, but the result was the same.

Ridden by Andrew Adkins, Anthracite settled in second alongside the front-running Thrice (Wootton Bassett).

Anthracite moved up to challenge that rival at the home turn, and he took a clear lead with 300m to run.

A quartet of horses flew home in the closing stages to provide a late scare, with none getting closer than Encap (Capitalist), but Anthracite dug in and held him out in a head-bobbing finish.

“He's developing into a marvellous horse,” Adkins said. “He’s racing full of confidence and the team have done a terrific job with him.”

Bred by Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Industry (NZ) Ltd, Anthracite is by Mongolian Khan out of the Savabeel mare Scarlet’s Secret (NZ).

He is a half-brother to Stylish Secret (NZ) (Sweet Orange), a five-race winner in Melbourne for trainer Mick Nolan, and was sold as a yearling through gavelhouse.com for $1200.

Anthracite has now had 14 starts for six wins, two seconds and three thirds, earning A$391,250 in stakes.