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Deakin’s 5.5 length win in the Listed Torney Night Cup at The Valley last Friday night confirmed him as one of the favourites for the 3200m Group 2 Adelaide Cup on March 10.

Bred in France by OTI & partners, the gelding, by Australia, was initially placed with Joseph O’Brien in Ireland. With Joseph, the horse won two of his eight races and looked a most progressive type.

Since arriving in Australia as a 5yo, Deakin has settled into Phillip Stokes’ stable extremely well. A tall, impressive looking chestnut, there was concern on Friday night about the firmness of the track. However Deakin seemed to handle it very well and came out of the race soundly.

In recent years, Philip has had an excellent run with horses going into the Adelaide Cup. He won the race in 2021 and 2022 with Good Idea and Daquinsweet Junior respectively. He was then 3rd with Amade in 2023 and most unlucky with the same horse in 2024 when 4th despite the saddle slipping early in the race. This year, Phillip is following the same pattern as he did with the Daqiansweet Junior, giving confidence that the horse will be ready to peak on the day.

Deakin is a true International horse. Having been bred in France, raced in Ireland and the UK, he has owners in the UK as well as from around Australia. Still very lightly raced, he is a most promising stayer, not only going into the Adelaide Cup but also into the spring later in the year.