Sansom Stokes Trainer with Caulfield Victory

It’s been a pretty good 12 months for trainer Phillip Stokes, with the predominantly Pakenham-based horseman adding to his seasonal haul on Saturday by training the winner of the Gr3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m). Consistent 4YO gelding Sansom (Charm Spirit) represented the stable against a competitive line-up that included last start winner Tin Can Man (Gingerbread Man,) fresh horse Streets of Avalon (Magnus), upwardly mobile Zoustar son The Astrologist who was on a hattrick, and the highly competent Godolphin duo Viridine (Poet’s Voice) and Isaurian (Exceed and Excel). Unraced for 5-months, Sansom drifted out to $17 at the jump. After pinging the lids before being positioned sixth at the 800m and the same at the 400m mark, Ben Allen started to make his move behind the strong speed up front. It wasn’t until the last stride that Sansom pipped Streets Of Avalon where a blanket would have covered the first six home. Stokes, on 175 Black Type Premiership points, thought the Gr3 Chatham Stakes winner would need the run, telling his owners victory was unlikely. The Gr2 PB Lawrence Stakes is next in mid-August, ahead of a possible Toorak tilt. He told punters.com.au, “I think now that he’s got this run under his belt, if we can get him out to a mile, he might be a horse that can get into a Toorak or something like that.”

There was a blanket finish to the Bletchingly Stakes