Stokes sets up spring base at Caulfield

He may be a visitor for the spring carnival but Adelaide trainer Phillip Stokes feels a part of the furniture in a barn formerly occupied by Peter Moody.

The three-time premiership winner in his home town has taken six boxes for the Melbourne carnival which he hopes may become a more permanent arrangement.

Stokes says while Adelaide has been good to him the time has come to try something different.

With frequent raids over the border from South Australia, Stokes said he had been thinking about positioning himself in Melbourne for the carnivals for a while.

He won the fillies Blue Diamond Prelude earlier in the year with Samara Dancer only to go under in the big race while last year Miss Gunpowder won the Thousand Guineas Prelude before disappointing in the Thousand Guineas after travelling home between runs.

“I was just looking at my stats and we’ve won quite a few preludes but we haven’t been able to get it quite right on the big days,” Stokes said.

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“The horses are staying here now and the Melbourne Racing Club have been kind enough to give us six boxes which is fantastic.

“Long term I would like to get boxes here. I’ve got the numbers now.

“I’ve changed my whole model and thinking, and we just want to be sending them here.

“I’ve had the Group One taste over here and I want to get that taste again.”

Stokes has 100 horses on his books and a stable capacity of 32 at his Morphettville stable which he says is full year round.

At Caulfield on Saturday Stokes will have his first runners from the new spring base.

Serenely Discreet, Miss Gunpowder and Hucklebuck step out with Stokes hoping they can springboard him into a big spring.

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