Skippers Canyon on trial for Pakenham Cup

[Wandering Eyes]

Progressive staying prospect Skippers Canyon (NZ) (Belardo) will take another step towards a planned Pakenham Cup tilt when he runs over 1800m at Caulfield on Saturday.

Stokes has a number of horses nominated to compete at the Zipping Classic Day meeting, with Skippers Canyon scheduled to run in a Benchmark 74 after making an impression first-up at the same track earlier this month with a last-to-first victory over 1700m in the same grade.

That was Skippers Canyon’s second win from three starts for the Stokes stable since joining the team after doing his earlier racing in New Zealand.

“It was huge,” Stokes said of the four-year-old’s first-up win at Caulfield on November 15. “He’s just got a bit of a habit of stepping slow and Lachy (Neindorf) went to Plan B and he couldn’t have been any more impressive the way he let down.

“He’s trained on good, no problems. It was probably a bit better than expected first-up so I’m hoping that we’re not going to get the second-up blues but his work this morning was nice and sharp so I feel he’s in good order.”

Stokes is focused on getting Skippers Canyon to next month’s $300,000 Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) on his home track, with Saturday’s race pinpointed as the right stepping stone.

Skippers Canyon has been nominated in both the Eclipse Stakes and the Benchmark race, with Stokes indicating on Tuesday that the latter is the preference, with apprentice Logan Bates booked to take the ride to utilise a claim and help offset the 61.5kg impost.

“When we tipped him out (last campaign) we thought we’d aim him up for the Pakenham Cup and then we’ll give him another little break and then we’ll work out where we go after that,” Stokes said. “We really like the horse.

“He’s still not there, I still think he’s a preparation away, but he couldn’t have done much more than what he’s done. He won first-up (last preparation) at Sandown on a Heavy track and I think he’s going to make a nice 2400-metre horse.”

The Belardo gelding was imported by OTI Racing after 10 starts in New Zealand, including a maiden win over 2100m at Otaki in January. He also recorded three seconds and a third, along with a fourth in the $350,000 Remutaka Classic (2100m) and a fifth in the Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m).

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