Deakin is set to kick off his quest for Caulfield Cup glory with his first-up run at Caulfield on Saturday.
With the Melbourne Cup no longer a possibility for the French-bred stayer, trainer Phillip and Tommy Stokes are fully committed to Deakin’s preparation.
The Listed Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) on Saturday is the initial target, followed by the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on September 19, and then the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 3.
The Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 17 is the planned spring assignment for Deakin, who finished eighth in the race last year.
However, after his performance in last year’s Caulfield Cup, Phillip Stokes had planned to target the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington, but the gelding was ruled ineligible under Racing Victoria’s veterinary protocols.
To avoid repeating that process, the Caulfield Cup is now the sole focus.
Deakin has only had one start since last year’s Caulfield Cup, finishing fifth in the Bart Cummings (1600m) at Morphettville in May.
This was a deliberate part of his campaign, with a light autumn to ensure the gelding would be in peak form for the spring. The Stokes father-son training team was pleased with the gelding’s recent trial, finishing third at Caulfield Heath on August 19.
“He had his second trial at Caulfield last week,” Phillip Stokes commented.
“He hasn’t raced since the Bart Cummings Stakes in Adelaide, and we pulled up after that, so it’s nearly been a year off, but I’m feeling he’s going as well as ever.
“Last prep, first-up 1400 metres, so the 1700 suits this time first-up, but I think he will need the run just to bring him on for his second-up assignment, but I couldn’t have been any happier with his trial.”
His campaign last year commenced over 1400m, progressed to 1700m, and he then delivered an eye-catching run in the Turnbull Stakes third-up.
“We’re doing a similar campaign again to the Caulfield Cup,” Stokes stated.
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