By David Nagel
Leading Pakenham trainer Phillip Stokes might have a carefree throw at the stumps at this year’s Caulfield Guineas with impressive Cranbourne winner Blazerro.
The two-year-old gelding looks destined for bigger things after toying with his opposition and making a one-act affair of the $35,000 Maiden Plate (1300m) last Thursday.
The son of Pierro/Blazing Snitzel broke through for his first win at start three, staying out of trouble after being hampered by a checkered run at his previous start.
Blazerro was hunted out of the gates by jockey Michael Poy before railing like a greyhound on the turn to demolish his rivals by almost three lengths, with a five-length gap between second-placed Escadora and the remainder of the field.
Stokes said Poy had followed his pre-race instructions to the letter.
“Last run here he found all the trouble in the world so I just told Michael (Poy) to take bad luck out of the equation and go to the top of the speed,” Stokes told Racing.com after the race.
“I don’t think leading is his go, I think he will be better with a trail, but he was far too good for them today and he’s an exciting horse going forward.”
The emerging talent enjoyed his first step out to 1300 metres and Stokes believes he has the talent and constitution to get out even further.
“I think he will be better once he gets out to a mile, so we’ll nominate him for the (Caulfield) Guineas, why not, and we’ll just see where he ends up in the spring.”
Stokes’s instructions were still ringing in Poy’s ears as he headed for the weigh-in scales.
“Last time we were unlucky here, we took the sit, which is probably the better way to ride him, but he’s in a different class than this lot so we took luck out of the equation and put the task to him and it felt like we had them all under pressure a long way from home,” Poy said.
“She’s fit, she worked well, I galloped her last Saturday morning, and she improved from her run here at Cranbourne first up…it’s onwards and upwards for her.”
Poy was a little sceptical when asked for Blazerro’s potential Guineas campaign.
“He’s got a long way to go, but the way he one here today it wouldn’t surprise me if he goes to a mid-week type race and is very competitive and we’ll reassess from there,” he said.
Blazerro’s win completed a race-to-race double for Pakenham-trained horses after Peter Moody’s three-year-old filly Killarney Kiss broke her maiden status at start two in the $35,000 Maiden Plate (1300m).
The daughter of Tavistock/Irish Fling opened her race campaign with a nice third on debut and put that previous experience to good use in a tough battle down the straight.
Killarney Kiss raced close to the speed, before jockey Carleen Hefel took her to the front at the top of the straight. The brave pair were never more than half-a-length in front over the concluding 200 metres but held on for a tough and courageous victory.
Moody also tasted victory a day earlier at Sandown last Wednesday when his super-consistent mare Perennial scored a soft win in the $50,000 Fillies and Mares BM70 Handicap (2100m).
The four-year-old chestnut is as honest as the day is long, with her latest victory the 11th time she has finished top three in 14 starts for the Moody camp. Perennial raced in New Zealand as a three-year-old before making her way across the ditch in August last year.
Wednesday’s win was just the fourth time that Perennial had stepped out 2000 metres or beyond, with two wins and two seconds showing that is definitely her preferred trip.
Brian Higgins hunted Perennial out from a wide gate but found a perfect sit as the field exited the straight for the first time. He then peeled her out at the 600-metre mark, hit the front at the 300, before exploding away with a great turn of foot at the furlong pole.
She won hard held on the line from the fast-finishing Sublime Miss.
And Stokes completed a good few days for Pakenham’s highest-profile trainers when Keep On Bopping scored at Mildura on Friday.
The Shamus Award three-year-old made it three wins from 11 starts after leading and staving off a wall of closers in the shadows of the post.
With no racing in Victoria this week, this Saturday’s scheduled meeting at Pakenham will be highly anticipated for participants and punters alike.
