Phillip Stokes is doing everything in his power to ensure Group 1 winner Femminile remains in his care for the remainder of her campaign and has engaged one of the country’s top hoops for what he hopes will be her next run.
The Pakenham trainer has received a commitment from Blake Shinn to ride the daughter of Dundeel in the Group 1 Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm on May 31.
The 2400-metre event will be run four days after she is offered for the sale at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale and Stokes said the filly who will trial at Pakenham on Tuesday presents a great opportunity for prospective buyers.
“She’s going through the sale a few days before, so the new buyers can have a runner in the Derby,” Stokes said.
“She’ll have a reverse (way) trial on Tuesday and then go up at the end of the week. She seems well.”
Femminile upstaged the boys in the South Australian Derby on May 3, when ridden buy Lachlan Neindorf, who carried the OTI Racing colours to victory in the 2500m event.
Shinn will be chasing back-to-back Queensland Derbys in the same colours, having partnered the OTI-raced Warmonger to a 10-1/2-length win in last year’s edition.
Femminile will be one of a three Stokes-trained runners Shinn will partner at Eagle Farm on May 31, also booked to partner Regal Azmon and Stay Focused.
Stokes is keen to test Regal Azmon beyond 1600m after his barnstorming win in the Group 3 Cummings Stakes at Morphettville on May 10 with the $200,000 Group 2 Lord Mayor’s Cup (1800m) identified as a good option.
“I thought, he’s in career-best so we might as well have a crack at that,” he said. ”
“He’s an older horse, but he’s going as good as ever.”
The Queensland Derby is one of two Group 1 races at Eagle Farm on Saturday week with the Group 1 spotlight shining on Doomben this weekend, with the clash of Pride Of Jenni and local star Antino the headline act.
