Phillip Stokes fillies head to Caulfield races

Phillip Stokes is set to kick-start a long campaign for Comanche Miss that he hopes may lead to a Group 1 in late spring.

The MRC Chairman’s Club Handicap (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday will see Comanche Miss line up for only the second time with the long-term aim being the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield in November.

Comanche Miss made a promising start to her career finishing fourth in the Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield in March.

The daughter of Castelvecchio found the journey too short but did not disgrace herself.

“She ran fourth after getting run off her feet early then closed OK late,” Stokes said.

“Blinkers go on which I think will be very good for her. Her jump-outs have been a lot sharper since they have gone on and being by Castelvecchio, she will get out in trip later on.

“You aim high at this time of year and something like the Thousand Guineas could be a race for her, so we’ll work back from there.”

How Stokes will get to the Thousand Guineas, he is unsure.

Once programming for the Group 1 race for three-year-old fillies was relatively easy, but now with the race run a month later, he is unsure what path to take.

“We’ll probably give her this and maybe one more then back off her as they changed the dates which I’m not that happy about,” Stokes said.

“There used to be a traditional route, now they’ve thrown it out there in no man’s land.

“You either start later to concentrate on it or race all the way through and try and hold them together, which is pretty hard to do.”

Stokes also has unbeaten two-year-old I Am Velvet engaged at Caulfield on Saturday in the VOBIS Gold Ingot (1400m).

The I Am Immortal filly has won both her outings at Pakenham and defeated the older horses at benchmark 58 level in her most recent outing on July 15.

Stokes said the filly still has a lot to learn.

“She’s coming off an impressive win on the synthetic, but she’s still very raw,” Stokes said.

“I think she’s a really nice horse, but she hangs in and does things wrong, so we’ll test the water with her, and I don’t think the 1400 metres won’t be a problem.”