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Stokes Racing heads into this Saturday’s Goodwood Handicap meeting attempting to secure the ‘South Australian Group 1 Grand Slam’ after OTI Racing and Simon Delzoppo’s Femminile took out the G1 SA Derby.

The daughter of Dundeel brought up the stables eighth Group 1 victory and fifth since Mr Quickie's triumph in the 2019 Queensland Derby. 

With a Sangster Stakes, the Australasian Oaks and now the SA Derby sitting in the trophy cabinet our attention turns to the time-honoured Goodwood Handicap after Stretan Angel came agonisingly close in last year’s edition.

Again, we will saddle up Stretan Angel, and Climbing Star, last year’s third placegetter. However, the well-weighted 2023 Everest hero Giga Kick stands in our way.

While the ever-consistent Stretan Angel is yet to see the winner’s stall since the 2023 G2 Danehill Stakes we are confident our three-time Group 1-placed daughter of Harry Angel can give Saturday’s race a real shake with the right luck in running from the inside peg.   

Lachy Neindorf will jump back aboard Stretan Angel while Tom Stockdale is set for his first raceday ride on Climbing Star in what will be her final start for the stable before being offered at the upcoming Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

We believe Climbing Star can bounce back here third up from the soft draw, barrier three, after running below expectations at her last start in G1 Sangster Stakes.

Racing Manager’s Nick Pinkerton and Jackson Frantz reflect on the G1 SA Derby success of Femminile and outline what the next month could look like for her before taking an in-depth look at the G1 Goodwood Handicap and the rest of the stable’s runners on Saturday.

➡️ Click here to listen to the full podcast

Pelevecchio is primed to run another big race when she steps out in trip to contest the G3 SA Fillies Classic after powering through the line to finish within 3L of Benagil in a brutally run edition of the G1 Australasian Oaks.  

The daughter of Arrowfield’s Castelvecchio, who is bred to see out the 2500m journey, has worked up nicely at home leading into Saturday’s race and can certainly get the job done if Lachy Neindorf produces another peach from the inside draw.

We are hoping Regal Azmon and Arran Bay can fight out the finish once again, this time at Group 3 level, after running the quinella when they clashed under handicap conditions on Sangster Stakes Day.

Both horses haven’t missed a beat since their last start efforts and map to get superb runs from barriers six and seven respectively.

Capitalist filly Shocap is ready to make her debut for Neil and Sue Dunn in the G3 David Coles Stakes off the back of some pleasing trial performances, which most recently saw her finish in behind older horses, including Singapore stakes performer Lim’s Saltoro at Moe last Monday.

While Steel Trap, from the Clarken and Macgillivray yard, looks extremely hard to beat we believe Shocap can measure up to this grade from the good draw, barrier three.

Last start winner Beauty Rising will need to overcome a very sticky gate if she’s to take out the last race on Goodwood Day, as will Fulmen Park’s Prancing Spirit, who himself has drawn the far outside barrier in the final event at Caulfield.