Kiwi import Daqiansweet Junior (NZ) (Sweet Orange) will go for a break before preparing for the spring after a stellar campaign for Pakenham trainer Phillip Stokes that concluded with a game third placing in Saturday’s Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m).
The four-year-old son of Sweet Orange was purchased by OTI Racing out of the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman stable for whom he was a multiple winner and Group Three placed in New Zealand.
Transferred to Stokes mid last year, Daqiansweet Junior has come a long way since finishing fifth in a BenchMark 64 at Moe in his first start from his new quarters.
The gelding has gone on to win five of his nine starts for Stokes and proved he can stay two miles when winning the Gr.2 Adelaide Cup (3200m) last month.
Despite being trapped deep on Saturday, Daqiansweet Junior was one of the few horses on the card to make ground when finishing into third in the Sydney Cup won by pacemaker Knights Order.
“He’s done us proud and he just keeps improving and ran really well on Saturday,” Stokes said.
“He runs the trip, there’s no problems there, and he can go in any conditions.
“We’ll take him home now. We’re going to have a lot of fun with him over the spring and who knows, let’s dream towards the Melbourne Cup (Gr.1, 3200m).”
Named after a Chinese actor, Daqiansweet Junior has won A$617,142 in prizemoney and looks a stayer of the future.
