Talented Warrnambool mare Stokke showed she’s on track for the coming Melbourne Cup carnival with her impressive win in LAST Saturday’s $200,000 Imperatriz Sprint on Cox Plate day at Flemington.
Aided by a brilliant ride from Jett Stanley, Stokke ($18) defeated Bred ’Em All and Ice Kool down the straight 1000 metres.
The six-year-old won the $200,000 Century Stakes on VRC Oaks day last year and Pat Ryan has set her for the same race in 2026.
Ryan was thrilled with Saturday’s win.
“Her last couple of runs weren’t great but she doesn’t handle wet tracks,” Ryan said. “First up  she was equal favourite with Cavalry Girl carrying (4.5) kilos more on a heavy track so that’s the form she brought into this prep. 
“I said to Rob (Salter, owner) that I was at a bit of a loss to explain her next two even with a wet track. I couldn’t find anything wrong with her. 
“This ticked every box. We had a good track, 1000 mETRES and Flemington, where she’s unbeaten, so I said we’d get a good guide whether her future lies on the track or in the breeding barn. 
“These older mares get to the spring and only have one thing on their mind. But this little lady is wanting to race again so that’s good. 
“We’ve been stretching her hamstrings. We left no stone unturned. We made some changes like softening her bit and it all appears to have worked.”
Ryan said he’d be going into this year’s Century Stakes quietly confident.
“She has an excellent record over 1000 metres down the straight and her second-up form is excellent too,” he said. 
“She ticks a lot of boxes. Fingers crossed we get a dry track again. Another win would be a huge boost to her breeding page.”
From her 17 starts Stokke has seven wins, three minor placings and $398,045 in earnings.
Patience pays
Handy Warrnambool galloper Fiorowngood may well be running at Flemington this Tuesday but it won’t be in the Melbourne Cup. 
Trainer Symon Wilde is eyeing off the $250,000 Heritage Cup over 2800 metres for the lightly raced five-year-old, who is coming off a 2400-metre benchmark 70 win on Geelong Cup day.
It was the gelding’s fourth win in succession and came at his 10th start, taking his earnings to $100,280.
“He had a minor tendon strain when he was young,” Wilde said this week. 
“We gave him time to mature and get over it. 
“The time off has really paid. He’s finally putting it all together and he can only improve getting out in distance. The 2800 metres looks right up his alley.”
Wilde praised the ride of champion jockey Damian Lane at Geelong but gave credit to another hoop, Jack Hill, who had done much of the work on Fiorowngood but missed the Geelong ride through suspension.