Handsome chestnut Written Tycoon colt Skyhook ended his three year-old season on a high with a dominant victory in the $200,000 Group III BRC Gunsynd Classic (1600m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, Skyhook was stepping out to a mile for the first time with this race seen as a good Plan B when he could only make the field as an emergency in the Group I BRC Stradbroke over 1400m.
Ridden a positive race by Kerrin McEvoy, Skyhook went forward from an outside draw to track the leaders and when given his cue to hit the line was off and gone. He shot clear with a furlong to run and opened up a margin to win by three lengths.
Gerald Ryan was expecting a big run from the colt and was philosophical about what might have been in the Stradbroke.
"I'm not surprised the way he went. Tuesday morning at the Gold Coast he worked sensational,” Ryan said.
"I was thinking I hope he gets into the Stradbroke, but when he ran here the other day, I was talking with a few of the owners and we thought we'd accept for the Stradbroke, but this is more our main aim and tick the box at running 1600-metres.
"He's done super well up here. He came up here on the Thursday before his last run and when he left he was 488-kilos and last week with a float trip and the racing he is 498. He's enjoyed the two-and-a-half weeks up here as much as I have.”
Now a four -time stakes-winner, Skyhook has the overall record of four wins and four placings from 13 starts with prizemoney topping $830,000 and will have a myriad of options in the spring that will no doubt include the $10million ATC Golden Eagle (1500m), a race exclusive to four-year-olds.
"He'll go out now. We'll aim for something in the spring with him, but we would have liked to get a run in the Stradbroke with the 51-kilos on his back, he'll never have that again.
"He's a good horse and he's still maturing. He'll be a better horse in the spring."
Kerrin McEvoy has ridden Skyhook in two of his three previous wins and has high regard for him.
"He's been a lovely horse. He loves that ground and he quickened in the ground where a lot of horses can't,” McEvoy said.
"Once he got the spot, got a bit of cover and was able to travel, he was always going to be hard to beat and he showed that he can run the mile which is going to open up doors moving forward.
"There's good options for him in the spring. You get a damp track and you never know."
Bred by Arrowfield, he was a $575,000 Magic Millions purchase for his trainers from the Arrowfield Stud draft and runs for a big syndicate that includes Matthew Ennis of Stallion Match.
He is the second foal and first winner from winning Redoute’s Choice mare Madame Pauline, a winning sibling to Group III winner Anders and SW’s Ostraka and Caffe Florian.
Arrowfield sold a Dundeel yearling colt from Madame Pauline at Inglis Premier in the Glen Lee Thoroughbreds draft for $120,000 to Monarch Racing / Paul Moroney / Catheryne Bruggeman.
Madame Pauline was covered last sprint by Castelvecchio after missing to Maurice (Jpn).
