Brendon McCullum's horse named after England Test skipper Ben Stokes to make racing debut

The ongoing Ashes series between England and Australia holds significant importance as both teams strive to claim the coveted urn. However, England's red-ball head coach Brendon McCullum has more at stake beyond the series.

Apart from his coaching responsibilities, McCullum has a passion for horse racing and has even named one of his horses after England's Test captain, Ben Stokes. This horse is now poised to make its debut in a race. McCullum personally bred the horse, which has been trained by Kurtis Pertab.

The horse has shown promising results during trials, having won its last two races. As a result, Pertab anticipates a victory in its first official race. Interestingly, Ben Stokes, after whom the horse was named, was born in Christchurch and lived there until the age of 12 before his family relocated to England.

Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum partnership looking positive for England

“Hopefully we can get a win for him, it is a bit of pressure for a maidener,” said Kurtis to LoveRacing NZ.

“He has trained on well from his trials, I couldn’t be happier with him,It will just come down to raceday experience and whether he is sharp enough against raceday pressure,his trials have been good, so he should go alright,” he further added.

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The partnership between Stokes and McCullum has already garnered attention in international cricket, thanks to their innovative Bazball approach. This fresh approach has contributed to England's improved performance in Test cricket. However, in the Ashes 2023, this strategy has faced criticism as the home team currently trails 1-2 in the five-game series.

Despite a recent three-wicket victory at Headingley led by Ben Stokes, the hosts face a formidable challenge in the upcoming matches.

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