Hasseltoff gives Phillip Stokes a happy homecoming at Gawler

Trainer Phillip Stokes returned to his old stomping ground for the weekend and getting a win at Gawler made it even better.

Jockey Lachlan Neindorf and Hasseltoff (lime silks) are too good for their rivals in the BM78 1500m at Gawler.

Trainer Phillip Stokes got a happy homecoming at Gawler on Saturday with new stable addition Hasseltoff breaking through in impressive fashion.

Stokes does most of his work across the border in Victoria these days and told said he was back at his old stomping ground for the weekend and was rapt to get a win with the former Tom Dabernig-trained galloper.

“Gawler was my home once upon a time so it’s great to be back,” Stokes told Racing.com.

“Mum and Dad still live here so it’s great and to get a winner is even better.

“I just came back here for the weekend to catch up with staff and everyone so to get a winner just makes it all the better.”

Hasseltoff comes from nowhere to snatch the win!

That's two in a row for the veteran galloper ✌️@pstokesracingpic.twitter.com/bwhXDkBdnn

— Racing.com (@Racing) December 14, 2024

Hasseltoff, an eight-year-old son of Toorak Toff, came in to Saturday’s race off a six week freshen up due to a hoof issue and Stokes admitted that he thought the galloper would need the run going into Saturday’s Benchmark 58 over the 1500m trip.

“Tommy (Dabernig) and the team have done a great job with this horse,” Stokes said.

“He was six weeks between runs coming into today due to a hoof problem so we sort of thought he would need the run today but full credit to the team and the horse.

“They’ve got him here in good order and Lachie (Neindorf) gave him a good steer.”

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A race earlier saw a change of tactics and three day back up proved to be the winning recipe for the Michael Hickmott-trained Commissions.

The four-year-old son of Xtravagant had only raced three days earlier after going around last Wednesday at Strathalbyn when disappointing as the $1.35 favourite.

He was slow out to settle worse than midfield on that occasion and was never effective from there but it was the opposite on Saturday.

Commissions jumped sweetly from barrier with and with Jake Toeroek in the saddle, he led all the way to make every post a winner.

He wasn’t as hard in betting as what the bookmakers posted on Wednesday, going around as the $3.20 second favourite with Guru Warrior ($2.50) holding the top spot in betting.

Our thoughts are with Sam Kavanagh's family & friends... ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ILTS4dtoZ7

— Racing.com (@Racing) December 14, 2024

On a more sombre note, trainer Sam Kavanagh lost his long battle with cancer early on Saturday morning.

The Kavanagh family moved to Adelaide in 2000 with his father, Mark, training out of Mt Gambier.

Kavanagh had a brief stint in partnership with his father that kicked off in 2009 where they won the South Australian premiership for three straight years.

In 2012 he branched out on his own, taking out his training licence and later that year would prepare his first winner in Adelaide.

Kavanagh moved to Sydney in 2013, where he would remain, and trained his last winner at Armidale on Monday.

Originally published as Hasseltoff gives Phillip Stokes a happy homecoming at Gawler