February 13 - Jason Hickson

Morphettville trainer Phillip Stokes will raise the bar just a little higher for in-form mare Vignor in Saturday's Group 3 Centreracing Tokyo City Cup (1600m).

The mare joined Stokes' team less than 12 months ago from the Lee Freedman stable but in that time has been placed to perfection, winning five and finishing second four times from nine starts.

Stokes has raced her through her grades but, after a last-start city win with 57kg - decided to go to the next level in racing her in stakes company.

"I've basically just taken it one step at a time with her, and she's risen to every challenge so far," Stokes said.

"But this is a different story altogether. She's been winning races where she hasn't had everything go her way and has still come through and she's going about as well as she can. But this is raising the bar a little higher - I just hope she's good enough."

Stokes said the mare is likely to go to stud next year, and Black-type status - even a placing - was the aim.

"I would be happy if she could run in the first three," Stokes said. "She's pulled up really well since her last win, drops 5kg on the run and has drawn an ideal gate - it's just a matter of whether she's got the class."

From a Tokyo City Cup perspective, Stokes has a Japanese connection. After being forced from the saddle with weight problems at just 21, Stokes found his big break in Japan - as well as his Japanese wife, Ayumi.

Stokes landed a job with the Taiki Group - a massive racing and breeding operation which raced topline horses such as Taiki Fortune and Taiki Shuttle, as well as breeding the likes of Vintage Crop and Theatrical. Stokes had a hands-on type management role where he rode many of the horses himself - getting them ready to race on all corners of the globe.

"Japan for me was a dream come true," Stokes said. "We raced horses all over the world, such as the Breeders' Cup in America. I learned a lot of different techniques which I use in my training. I was also lucky enough to meet my wife."

Stokes uses a lot of walking and slow work, as well as the beach, in keeping his horses fit yet fresh. It seems to be paying dividends - despite training a small but select team his strike-rate is by far the best in South Australia, with almost 40 per cent winning strike rate in both the city and state premierships.

Copied with permission of Thoroughbred Racing South Australia:
http://www.trsa.com.au/