Phillip Stokes has his team firing as the 2023-24 racing season nears its end – and the Pakenham trainer will saddle up another two strong chances at Sandown-Hillside on Wednesday.
Improving two-year-old Magna Mak has crossed the border for her first run in Victoria after two placings in South Australia, while in-form mare Street Delight has returned strongly from a spell with a win at Pakenham and a close fifth at Mornington last-start.
Magna Mak – a filly by Magna Grecia – will line up in a Two-Year-Old Handicap over 1300m as she attempts to break her maiden.
“She’s been thereabouts (in both starts), we’ve put blinkers on her for Wednesday,” Stokes said.
“We’ve gone a little bit further in trip which should put her thereabouts. She’s very professional.”
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Street Delight will tackle a Benchmark 70 Handicap (1300m) on Wednesday. The four-year-old by Street Boss posted an impressive win at Pakenham first-up that saw her blocked for a run until the 250m, before a move to the outside saw her unleash a strong turn of foot to score under hoop Daniel Stackhouse.
“We’ve probably had to learn a bit about her (Street Delight), we were originally going to send her back to the Adelaide but we thought we would give her a couple of runs here, and she’s earned her spot to stay in Victoria,” he said.
“We’ll keep her fresh and she’s racing well. She looks well placed (on Wednesday). They look like they are in the right races and they’ll be very competitive.”
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Magna Mak will jump from barrier six for jockey Zac Spain, while Stackhouse will pilot Street Delight from barrier 12. They are both $11 chances with TAB fixed odds for their respective races.
Stokes also has three-year-old Global Turn returning from a spell at Murray Bridge on Wednesday. The filly by Star Turn has won one race from six starts, and will be ridden by Caitlin Jones in a Benchmark 56 (1200m).
The Stokes stable has notched 102 wins across Victoria, South Australia and Queensland in the 2023-24 season, with 55 of those coming from the Pakenham stable and 46 from the Morphettville base.
It’s included Group 1 success with Climbing Star in the Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) in April – a win that handed SA hoop Lachlan Neindorf his first G1 triumph – while Femminile won the Listed Oaklands Plate (1400m) at Morphettville Parks on Saturday.
Stokes has notched eight wins from his past 26 runners in both states, striking at 32 per cent.
“All the horses are racing well, the team has done a good job,” he said.
“We’ve had over 100 winners this season, (over) $7 million in prize money and we’re still going strong.”