Skyhook makes big spring statement in the Rosebud
Skyhook (Written Tycoon) indicated he’ll be one of the classier three-year-olds of the Sydney spring by resuming with a tough victory in The Rosebud (Listed, 1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
A $575,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast purchase for trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, the chestnut colt was among the more prominent two-year-olds of the autumn in NSW through a four-start campaign.
After a 0.14-length second to the smart Rivellino (Too Darn Hot) in the Skyline Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at his second start, Skyhook broke through to win the Pago Pago Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) by a gaping 3.24 lengths.
He went into the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) a week later as equal fourth-favourite at $7.50, but on the quick back-up, could manage only a pass mark by running a 3.94–length seventh, and was sent for a spell.
Ryan told ANZ News on Monday the mild-mannered colt had returned as a three-year-old in fine order, running second in his only trial, but that “you never know how they’re going to go until you race them – that’s the thing with young horses”.
On Saturday, Skyhook answered any doubts in emphatic fashion.
Taking to the well-worn heavy 9 track under topweight of 60.5kg in the quality handicap conditions – 2.5kg more than the second topweight and at least six kilos more than half of the six-horse field – the chestnut eased in betting to start a $4.40 second favourite behind Michael Freedman’s Pallaton (Wootton Bassett) at $2.40.
While regular rider Kerrin McEvoy had envisaged going forward, Skyhook mustered only fairly and settled last, as Nashville Jack (Farnan) and Skyhook’s stablemate Blitzburg (Snitzel) set an even tempo.
Despite his sizeable weight, Skyhook travelled well into the race on the home turn, and ground through the heavy conditions in the straight to take the lead down the outside at the 200m, coming away to score by 0.59 lengths.
Grand Prairie, who’d looked a major threat to Skyhook at the 300 metres, had to be content with providing sire Written Tycoon with the quinella, at $5.50. Pallaton, one of Sydney’s boom pre-Christmas two-year-olds after scoring on debut before fading out in the autumn, took third but was a disappointment again for his many backers.
In contrast, Skyhook lived right up to taking the top rating into the race (83), earning the highest of praise from laconic co-trainer Ryan.
“He’s a good horse,” Ryan told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
The veteran conditioner said he had targeted a resumption on Saturday in order to space Skyhook’s runs until the Golden Rose (Gr 1, 1400m) at Rosehill on September 27.
And such is his regard for Skyhook, Ryan said that had last Saturday’s weight-for-age Missile Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) been postponed by a week – instead of bafflingly being abandoned altogether after last weekend’s wash-out – he might have run Skyhook in that.
“If they had have recalled entries for the Missile Stakes and run it today, I was tempted to run him in the Missile Stakes with 52.5kg on his back instead of 60.5,” said Ryan, delighted with Skyhook’s maturity this time in.
“He’s a horse who doesn’t take heaps of work. He doesn’t get gross and he’s got the right attitude.”
Ryan said he and Alexiou had discerned Skyhook performed better with his races well spaced – which explained his modest Slipper performance, and the fact his next start will be four weeks away, in the Run To The Rose (Gr 2, 1200m) on September 13.
“We were never going to go to the Slipper until he won the Pago Pago. His ideal prep into the Slipper would’ve been if he had have won [the Skyline], we would’ve gone three weeks into the Slipper,” Ryan said.
“That’s one of the reasons why we ran him today, to get him up early, because I don’t think he’s the type of horse who can go two weeks apart. I reckon he needs his races spaced. So we’ll go four weeks into the Run To The Rose, and then two weeks into the Golden Rose.”
McEvoy was hugely impressed with Skyhook’s performance, after he’d become somewhat excited in the mounting yard.
“He’s a bit of a lad,” McEvoy said. “He carries on, but he means well. He’s just excited. Once I got over his neck on the track he tucked his head and cantered around lovely.
“I must admit I thought I’d be in the one, two or three somewhere. When he didn’t step great, I had to make a call – do I gun him with [60.5kg] on his back or ride him quiet?
“I elected to just ride him a bit quieter, and it paid dividends. He’s versatile like that. Once I got to the 500 he did feel like the winner.
“It was a good job with that big weight on his back. He showed he’d come back in nice order. Gerald and Sterling have done a good job with him. He’s a bit of an athlete. What level he gets to we’ll find out, but he’s got his good share of ability.”
Bred by Arrowfield Stud, Skyhook is the second foal of dual winner Madame Pauline (Redoute’s Choice), a three-quarter sister to current Widden Stud sire Anders (Not A Single Doubt), whose two stakes wins also included The Rosebud.
Madame Pauline now has a yearling colt by Dundeel (High Chaparral) and slipped to Maurice (Screen Hero) last spring.