The first day of the 2026/27 racing season brought first wins for two newly minted training partnerships at Morphettville last Saturday.
The father-and-son team of Phillip and Tommy Stokes landed their first win together when Bold Secret ($2.50 favourite) took out Sportsbet Get On Extra Handicap, at 0-66 level over 1400 metres. 
With comeback jockey Noel Callow aboard, restarting his career after a 10-month suspension, Bold Secret came from midfield with a strong run over the concluding stages.
“A first win for the partnership is great,” said younger brother Kerrin Stokes, who runs the team’s Adelaide stable.
“Noel’s been out of the saddle for a while, and credit to him. He’s been rocking up to trackwork, working hard, and we’re happy to reward him.”
A race earlier, Will Clarken and Charlotte Sorby brought up their first winner together when Miso ($10) came from last to take the Sportsbet Blackbook Handicap, a benchmark 82 over the same trip, giving Rochelle Milnes the second leg of a riding double.
Sorby has worked for Clarken for some time in several roles, including trackwork rider and assistant trainer.
Milnes had brought up the first leg of her double on Amalfi Dreamer ($3.10) in the PFD Food Services Maiden Plate (1250m) for the established father-daughter partnership of Richard and Chantelle Jolly.
A couple for Caitlin, O’Connor
Local trainer Jon O’Connor and apprentice Caitlin Tootell were the other stars of Morphettville’s season opener, combining for a double of their own.
First up, Sassy Little Miss ($19) was slow away in the ULE Hoof Oil Handicap, a Class 2 over 1000 metres, but recovered to prove too strong. 
O’Connor and Tootell completed their double when Maxildo ($4.80) led all the way in the Sportsbet Same Race Multi Handicap, a benchmark 68 over 1561 metres. 
Maxildo carries the Dickmann family’s red, yellow and green colours made famous by Happy Trails, trained by the late Paul Beshara to win three Melbourne Group 1s from 2012 to 2014.
Kerr breaks through with cup coup
It’s not often a jockey’s first win comes in a cup race, but that’s what happened for apprentice Jayden Kerr at Roxby Downs last Saturday.
At what was his 16th career ride, Kerr celebrated his first win in style by landing the 1800-metre Roxby Downs Cup, heat four of the Outback Cups series, on the Brendon Davis-trained Overloaded ($4.20). 
Kerr is a former SA champion junior boxer who won six state titles, a national title and multiple Golden Gloves titles before becoming a mature-age apprentice jockey at 23 late last year. 
He is indentured to Morphettville trainer Stuart Gower.
Other honours at Roxby Downs went to Murray Bridge trainer Garret Lynch and apprentice Jemma Gutte, who combined for a popular double with Finnbar McCool ($2.15 favourite) in a 1000-metre maiden plate and Exonumia ($3.20  favourite) in a 1400-metre 0-52 handicap.