Episode 204: Phillip Stokes

I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Phillip Stokes so we did the next best thing and chatted on the podcast. The trainer talks of his runners in two states last Saturday. No winners but a few super efforts. Phillip talks of the fruition of a long term plan to establish a Victorian stable, and the reason he settled on the new Pakenham complex. He describes the available facilities and the 16 acre property he purchased just 5 minutes down the road.  Phillip reflects on a happy childhood growing up on a cattle station near Marree at the top end of SA. His father Ron introduced him to thoroughbreds at an early age. He remembers his apprenticeship in Adelaide to John Hall who had been a stable foreman for Bart Cummings in the maestro’s early days. Phillip recalls his move to Alice Springs when his weight got out of hand. He remembers his new boss Viv Oldfield with great affection. This larger than life character is one of the Territory’s most famous businessmen to this day. The forty nine year old recalls his first overseas stint with top trainer John Hammond at the famous Chantilly training centre near Paris. Phillip looks back on his job with Taiki Farm in Japan and the moment he met Ayumi, the girl destined to become his wife and the mother of his two sons. He cherishes memories of his time with Hall Of Fame trainer Bill Mott at the famous Belmont track on Long Island (NY). The trainer looks back on the horses to get him up and going in the unforgiving business of horse training. Squillani, Marju Snip, Maybe Discreet, Hucklebuck and Eclair Surprise all get special mention. Phillip talks of his magical day at Flemington on the final day of the 2014 Melbourne Cup Carnival when he won three races including the Gr 1 Emirates. He runs through the future prospects of some promising horses he has at Morphettville and Pakenham currently.