Champion jockey Kerrin Mcevoy was able to overcome a wide barrier and give Skyhook the run of the race before scoring an impressive win in the Group 2 $300,000 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m).
Trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou have been planning for months how to get Skyhook to the Golden Eagle (1500m) at Royal Randwick on October 31- and they weren’t deterred by freakish mare Sheza Alibi’s outstanding win in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.
TAB Fixed Odds price assessors firmed Sheza Alibi into $1.60 favourite for the Golden Eagle while Skyhook is on the third line of betting at $11.
“What if Sheza Alibi doesn’t come for the Golden Eagle,” Alexiou said.
“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 said the Golden Eagle is their singular focus with Skyhook and it means the striking chestnut won’t go to the Group 1 $1.5 million Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick on October 3.
“There will be no Epsom,” Ryan said.
“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 ($2 favourite) got across into the one-out, one-back position early, moved three wide on the turn and was able to score with authority by one-and-a-quarter lengths from Magnatear ($26) with Verona Rose ($7) a short neck away third.
McEvoy suggested Skyhook feels “bigger and more developed” and is in for his best racing preparation.
“Behind the gates, he was walking around like he owned the place,” McEvoy said. “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.”
Skyhook scored his fifth win from 14 starts and took his career earnings over the $1 million prizemoney barrier – 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 said.
“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 said how Skyhook pulls up from the Theo Marks win will determine what race program they lock in for the Golden Eagle.
“We will let the dust settle, get over today and see how he gets through the week,” Alexiou said.
“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.”
