Anode gets another shot at 1600m in Callander Presnell Stakes

Anode will be given another chance to prove himself at 1600 metres this Saturday, when the I Am Invincible colt lines up in the Callander-Presnell at Randwick.

The $1 million Group 2 will be the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained three-year-old’s first start at the trip this campaign after two runs at 1400m.

After pushing Traffic Warden in the Group 2 Run To The Rose (1200m) first-up, Anode was well held in the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) before clinging on to score in the Tapp-Craig (1400m) on October 12 and Bott said now was as good a time as any to go back to 1600m.

“He’s the winner of the Tapp-Craig so it looks a natural progression for him getting out the mile,” Bott said.

“I thought he was very good there last start, he looks to have trained on nicely and he’s in good form, so most likely you will see him there.

“He was very honest in those (earlier) races. He’s got form around the right horses. He just needs a few things to go his way, he needs the right track conditions.

“Second-up, things didn’t quite work out in the Golden Rose but outside of that he has been excellent.”

The Callander-Presnell will be his second start at 1600m, having finished a 7-3/4-length fifth in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes won by Broadsiding earlier this year.

Bott and Waterhouse will not have a runner in Saturday’s feature race, the $2m Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m), but could see Converge and New Endeavour step out in the $750,000 Group 2 Craven Plate.

“He was good in the Alan Brown over the 1400 metres, it just had him a little bit stretched so I think the tempo of an 1800 will suit him at this stage of his career,” Bott said of Converge.

“We’ll most likely have New Endeavour there as well.

“He’s on his way to a Five Diamonds so I think that will be a nice set-up for him.”