Dylan Gibbons gets 21st birthday party started with city win aboard Socrates

And both attributes were on show on Saturday at Randwick as the Newcastle jockey celebrated his 21^st birthday in front of his family with a win aboard Socrates.

From gate four in the 1800m Highway Handicap, Gibbons put the James Ponsonby-trained Socrates on the fence behind the leaders.

Gibbons bided his time before shifting Socrates out to find space at the 300m mark and driving him to the line to win by a third of a length in a blanket finish.

The victory was a relief for Gibbons, who had a large contingent of family and his girlfriend, Nevada Mansfield, trackside for his milestone birthday.

"I was getting pretty worried there for a bit that I was going to get beaten by a close margin, but luckily my bloke is as honest as the day is long," Gibbons told Sky Racing after the win.

"He travelled so well and when he first came off the bridle I thought I was going to have a bit more there, and I got a bit worried, but to his credit, when I got him out in the clear, he knew his job and he really dug deep."

He told the Newcastle Herald on Sunday that the win "was extra special on my birthday, and to have everyone there was even better".

"That's probably been the biggest thing, just having a good team behind me," he said.

"They are the ones who make my life a lot easier and help me do what I do as good as I can."

It was back-to-back wins on Socrates in Highway Handicaps for Gibbons.

"He does a pretty good job James Ponsonby so full credit to him," he said.

"I had to be patient. I nearly flattened Kerrin McEvoy [on Smooth Espirit] when I was trying to get out, so I just had to wait a couple of extra strides until I could get out."

He rose to 14 city victories this season - two ahead of main apprentices' premiership rival Tyler Schiller.

"I haven't given myself much breathing room, but it's still good to be in front now," he said.

Gibbons' win came on a mostly tough day in feature races for the Hunter brigade.

Newcastle trainer Kris Lees' Flag Of Honour was found to have bled after finishing eighth in the $1 million Callander-Presnall.

Newcastle colt Promitto failed to run out the 2000m group 1 Spring Champion Stakes, finishing 10^th.

At Moonee Valley, Lees-trained favourite Willinga Beast was fifth in the Crockett Stakes.

Australian Bloodstock's Gold Trip was held up for a run when ninth in the Cox Plate won by Anamoe.

AAP reports: Anamoe's graduation to the upper echelon of modern-day Australian turf greats was confirmed in the $5 million Cox Plate on Saturday.

Continuing an unbeaten spring, Anamoe delivered on every expectation for world racing superpower Godolphin and the operation's Australian trainer, James Cummings.

In making it seven wins at racing's highest level, Anamoe was the strongest horse when it counted most as Moonee Valley hosted a Cox Plate crowd for the first time since 2019.

The four-year-old, beaten in controversial circumstances last year, deserved an audience in his bid for redemption and he didn't disappoint his growing legion of fans.

Given a perfect ride from James McDonald, Anamoe, the $2.40 favourite, settled in the front division and responded brilliantly when the race got serious.

He surged to the front on the turn, claiming the leader Zaaki before establishing a clear break on his rivals.

He seemed set for an emphatic victory until I'm Thunderstruck and El Bodegon emerged from a group of chasers to make late bids before taking the minor placings.

I'm Thunderstruck ($10) finished a long neck away with El Bodegon ($6.50) a long head further back in third place.

Zaaki, rated the biggest threat to Anamoe, wound up fourth with Alligator Blood finishing fifth.

"I wanted to build the revs up into the corner. Hence, probably I went a tad earlier than I wanted to but he was always going to sustain that gallop," McDonald told the Seven Network.

"Even though it looked like they were coming out of the pack to get him, he would have dug deep. As you know, this horse, he can find a bit."

The win ensured Cummings emulated his famous grandfather Bart as a Cox Plate-winning trainer.

"It is a humbling experience for me but I'm just grateful that I can be part of a horse as great as Anamoe," Cummings said.

"The truth is, he has just had a gun preparation.

"A couple of times it hasn't been plain sailing but my team have come together in phenomenal fashion to have him arrive in perfect shape."

Cummings said he was a contented trainer during the race as McDonald had Anamoe within striking distance of the leaders.

"Halfway through the race I couldn't help feel very calm about it because there were no surprises. Everything went to script," he said.

Appropriately, Anamoe's triumph also broke a frustrating sequence of placings for Godolphin in Australia's most prestigious race as he became Sheikh Mohammed's most successful Group One racehorse.

Anamoe was given his chance to win the Cox Plate as an immature three-year-old and he came close when denied by State Of Rest.

A hastily expanded Cox Plate meeting has produced one of the more emphatic and worthy Group One winners of the Australian racing season.

Bella Nipotina gave her Manikato Stakes rivals a sprinting lesson in a race that could have been easily lost in a crowded spring carnival schedule.

The Manikato Stakes is traditionally run as a Friday night lead-in to the Cox Plate but this year's card was abandoned after five races because of thunderstorms.

A meeting between racing officials, stewards and trainers saved the race and it was run as the last of 11 events on Saturday.

No one was more thankful than Bella Nipotina's co-trainer David Eustace.

"She really deserved that. It felt like it was her time because she looked better today than she ever has."

Following an example set by Anamoe in winning the Cox Plate after finishing second in 2021, Bella Nipotina made amends for her narrow Manikato Stakes loss last year.

She raced midfield on the inside on Saturday before jockey Craig Williams saved ground to have her ready to challenge in the straight.

Williams got a further response from his mount as Bella Nipotina ($3.60) dashed away for a 4-3/4 length win over Queensland sprinter Rothfire ($6.50) with Best Of Bordeaux ($8) holding down third.

"She was brave and she was tough and she was a deserved winner today," Williams said.

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