Skyhook is now a serious contender for a start in the Group 1 $10 million Golden Eagle following an outstanding return to racing at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Champion jockey Kerrin McEvoy skillfully navigated a wide barrier, providing Skyhook with an ideal run before he scored impressively in the Group 2 $300,000 Theo Marks Stakes over 1300 metres.
For months, trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou have meticulously planned Skyhook’s path to the Golden Eagle (1500m) at Royal Randwick on October 31. They were unperturbed by the remarkable victory of the mare Sheza Alibi in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.
TAB Fixed Odds has tightened Sheza Alibi’s price to $1.60 favourite for the Golden Eagle following her Flemington win, while Skyhook remains on the third line of betting at $11.
“What if Sheza Alibi doesn’t come for the Golden Eagle?” Alexiou queried. “You never run away from one horse and the Golden Eagle has been our aim for some months now. Since his Brisbane campaign we have basically worked backwards from the Golden Eagle and we thought how we could get him there in his best form.”
Ryan confirmed that the Golden Eagle is the sole focus for Skyhook, meaning the striking chestnut will forgo the Group 1 $1.5 million Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick on October 3.
“There will be no Epsom,” Ryan declared. “If he went to the Epsom he would have to run in the Shannon Stakes the Saturday before and I don’t think he is a back-up horse. We might look at the Alan Brown Stakes which is four weeks away so this means he could go to the Shannon in two weeks. But this horse has won Group races as a two, three and four-year-old now and the aim is to try and win a Group 1 with him.”
Skyhook, starting as the $2 favourite, settled in the one-out, one-back position early in the race. He progressed three-wide on the turn and went on to win by one-and-a-quarter lengths from Magnatear ($26), with Verona Rose ($7) a short neck back in third.
McEvoy suggested that Skyhook feels “bigger and more developed” and is set for his best racing preparation.
“Behind the gates, he was walking around like he owned the place,” McEvoy remarked. “It’s always a good sign for a horse moving forward in a preparation. His trials have been pleasing and it was a nice kick-off point today. We got into a good trailing spot, and he was able to produce a nice finish.”
This win marked Skyhook’s fifth from 14 starts, pushing his career earnings past the $1 million prize money threshold, with the promise of more to come.
“The trip to Queensland late last season has done him the world of good, he has really grown up and come of age,” Alexiou commented. “Kerrin off-set the wide barrier pretty quickly, he got into a nice position early, it was a nice first-up run and he’s won well. He is not really a sit-sprint horse, he has a high cruising speed which he can kick off from and sustain his sprint. When Verona Rose came alongside him, I was a bit worried for a few strides but he asserted his authority late.”
Alexiou stated that Skyhook’s recovery from his Theo Marks Stakes victory would guide the decisions on his race program leading up to the Golden Eagle.
“We will let the dust settle, get over today and see how he gets through the week,” Alexiou advised. “There are a few options, the Shannon Stakes, Alan Brown, Silver Eagle – we will let him get over this first and then make up our minds. He’s a pretty athletic horse and doesn’t need a lot of work so he could get there with one more run, that wouldn’t worry us.”
Skyhook’s impressive victory puts him in a strong position for the Golden Eagle. You can explore various betting sites for the latest odds.