Stokes looking to expand Pakenham yard

Tuesday 11 June 2019, 4:09pm

Trainer Phillip Stokes is looking to expand his Pakenham operation as success brings more horses to the stable.

Earlier this year, South Australian Stokes set up a new base at Pakenham which has produced a steady stream of winners and the trainer also has a property at nearby Garfield where he lives.

The house full sign may temporarily be up as Stokes builds more boxes to increase capacity to 50 while swinging horses between the on-course stable and Garfield.

Stokes also has another 22 boxes in Adelaide at Morphettville.

Monday's Mornington winner Sizzlefy headed home to Garfield after her victory which freed up an on-course box.

"We're building more stables so we'll have 50 in work and then we'll train horses at our farm as well," Stokes said.

"We're able to switch them around. It works very well."

Stokes credits the Pakenham facility in the success of Mr Quickie who won the Group One Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

The win was Stokes' first Group One win from the new stable with a horse who was one of the first into the yard.

"All Group Ones are very special but definitely the way we did this, from the Pakenham base, it was a big thrill," Stokes said.

"He did all his work here and then we were able to fly him up.

"When we moved in we had four horses and soon we'll have room for 50.

"It's ever expanding which you have to in this business."

With mission complete and Mr Quickie staying in Queensland for a well-earned spell, work continues for Stokes in his search for his next big race win.

Sizzlefly showed she might be above average with her win on Monday in good time.

"I've got a lot of rising three-year-olds coming through that I'm trying to place apart," Stokes said.

"I've got plenty coming through as I've given them time and a lot of them I aimed over here.

"It's about separating them to see where they're placed and what we want to aim at."

– AAP

Latest News

Prime Thoroughbreds - We have a Host of Leaders in our Team

Tuesday, 29 June 2021

Prime Thor­ough­bred’s cur­rent rac­ing team is putt­ing to­gether quite a re­cord. We have 22 hors­es that have raced in our team at pre­sent. Six­teen of th­ese are win­n­ers in­clud­ing the Stakes win­n­ing trio Ru­bisa­ki, Fituese and Xtreme­time with Miss Di­vine Em and Miss In Charge run­n­ing 4th in Stakes races. This sees a stakes win­n­er to win­n­er ra­tio of 18.75% with a stake’s per­formed to win­n­er ra­tio of 31.25%. Th­ese are ex­cep­tio­n­al fig­ures.   More »

Freedmans land maiden Group One win

Saturday, 27 February 2021

Un­der-rat­ed fil­ly For­bid­den Love has emerged as an au­tumn car­ni­val smokey with a bril­liant per­for­mance to win the Sur­round Stakes at Rand­wick.  More »

Capriccio completes Damian Lane treble

Saturday, 27 February 2021

In a big day for coun­try-trained hors­es, War­r­nam­bool fil­ly Capric­cio has tak­en out the In­glis Dash for Daniel Bow­man.  More »

More news headlines »