Jockey Kerrin McEvoy showcased his dominance in the two-year-old events at Rosehill, guiding both Skyhook and Memo to impressive victories. While both juveniles performed strongly, Skyhook is expected to be McEvoy’s preferred ride in the Golden Slipper, with Memo unlikely to line up.
McEvoy, who claimed Golden Slipper glory aboard Sepoy in 2011, delivered a masterful ride on Skyhook in the Pago Pago Stakes (1200m). The colt surged to the lead and maintained control, accelerating in the straight to secure a dominant 3-1/4 length victory over Good Hotspur.
His tactics on Memo were the complete opposite. After a slow start, she settled towards the rear before launching a powerful finishing burst to narrowly defeat Dream Side, Skyhook’s stablemate, in the Magic Night Stakes (1200m).
Trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou confirmed Skyhook would progress to next weekend’s Golden Slipper, provided he came through the race in good condition. He will be joined by stablemate and Black Opal Stakes winner King Of Pop.
“He’s a really tough colt,” Alexiou said.
“Kerrin had a clear game plan. He knew he was on the best horse and rode him with full confidence.
“It was great to see him put a margin on the field.”
McEvoy was pleased with how comfortably Skyhook handled the race but noted that the extreme heat on the day could be a factor in his Golden Slipper preparation.
“He traveled beautifully and controlled the race from the front,” McEvoy said.
“He’s a classy colt, but with such a hot day, the concern will be how he recovers for next week. The stable will assess that in the coming days.”
Meanwhile, trainer Peter Snowden suggested Memo is “unlikely” to back up for the 2025 Golden Slipper, instead favoring the Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) in three weeks.
“We haven’t made a final call, but in my view, the Percy Sykes is a better option for her,” Snowden said.
“She’s had a long and testing campaign. Running again so soon after such an intense day might be too much. But she’s been outstanding.”
Memo had been consistent leading up to the race, placing in four of her five previous starts, though she encountered trouble in the Sweet Embrace Stakes.
Snowden admitted to some nerves early in the race but trusted McEvoy’s expertise.
“She settled further back than we had planned. I may have let out a few words watching it unfold, but Kerrin knew exactly what he was doing,” Snowden said.
“He positioned her perfectly and timed her run to perfection.
“She truly deserved this win.”
Both juvenile events posted similar times, with Skyhook recording a final 600m sectional of 33.80 seconds, while Memo finished in 34.59 seconds.
West Of Swindon was scratched from the Pago Pago Stakes after being deemed mildly lame following a shoe mishap on race morning.
