Phillip Stokes is looking to the spring with rising three-year-old colt Matahga after his black-type breakthrough in the listed David Peacock Oaklands Plate (1400m) on the Parks track at Morphettville last Saturday.
Matahga has now had three starts, all under Jacob Opperman, for a debut second and two wins.
Last Saturday he started the $2.15 favourite and came from midfield to score by a half-neck from the Hayes brothers’ Ethereum Girl ($7), with another Stokes runner, Kazaru ($31), a further three-quarters of a length away.
The grey Tivaci colt, who cost $NZ80,000 at last year’s Karaka yearling sales, is raced by cattleman and Birdsville Race Club president David Brook and his family.
Matahga has already more than repaid his purchase price, earning $144,800, and will be trying for even greater riches in the spring, with the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) a possible agenda item.
“He’s come a long way in this prep,” Stokes said. “The team have done a fantastic job with him. He’ll go for a break now and I think he deserves to be aimed at some of the nice three-year-old races in the spring.”
Matahga’s win was the second leg of a double for Stokes and the first of a treble for Opperman.
Earlier, Stokes joined forces with Lachlan Neindorf to win the 1250-metre Class 2 with Nicish ($4.80), who came from midfield for a convincing 1¾-length win.
Opperman’s second winner was Test The Law ($17) in a benchmark 78 over 1950 metres for Murray Bridge trainer Matthew Seyers. His third was Fiasco Tess ($8) in a benchmark 76 over 1550 metres for Mornington co-trainers David Brideoake and Matt Jenkins.

Opperman kept up the good work with a double at Murray Bridge on Wednesday, winning on the Paul Preusker-trained Golden Mikki ($5.50) in a 1400-metre maiden plate and Amelia Valentina ($7) in a rating 56 handicap of 1200 metres for Gary and Nichole Searle and Brianna Callanan.
Elsewhere on the Murray Bridge card, trainer/jockey Justin Potter and his apprentice daughter Sophie created a special moment when they combined to win with Sun Flipper ($7) in a benchmark 56 over 900 metres.

Bordertown braces
Jockey Stacey Metcalfe and apprentice Alysha Warren shared the honours with a double apiece at Bordertown last Friday.  
Metcalfe won on Port Nights ($26) for Sue and Jason Jaensch and Silent Enemy ($4.40 favourite) for Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea.
Warren’s winners were the Gary Boyce-trained Piwhane ($6) and the Michael Huxtable-trained Enciphering ($5.50 favourite).
Party time at Port
The Port Augusta Racing Club will stage the signature meeting of its season this Sunday with the Port Augusta Cup (1867m) the highlight.