Talented Written Tycoon colt Skyhook has been a big watch horse at Breednet since he won his first barrier trial at Rosehill on February 3 and has now earned a shot at the Golden Slipper with a bold front running win in the $250,000 Group III ATC Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, Skyhook was third on debut in the ATC Pierro Plate and then was a close and unlucky second to Rivellino in the Group II ATC Skyline Stakes on March 1.
Kerrin McEvoy elected to stick with the colt after that run and took luck our of the equation this time when driving him to the front and from that point on it was smooth sailing. Skyhook powered clear of his rivals to win by three lengths over his stablemate Good Hotspur with Wootton Bassett (GB) colt State Visit working home well for third.
“I think Kerrin thought he was on the best horse and decided to ride him accordingly and he just got out in front, relaxed well and got into a nice rhythm and he’s got that nice turn of foot and produced it when Kerrin asked him to and put a margin on the rest of them,” said Sterling Alexiou.
On a hot humid day at Rosehill, the effort will have taken a bit out of Skyhook, but he will be given every opportunity to recover and back up next week in the Golden Slipper, where he will join his stablemate King of Pop, who won the Group III Canberra Black Opal Stakes last Sunday.
“They are two very different horses, this guy is more of a three year-old, where as King of Pop is more of a natural running two year-old, but they both have an abundance of ability and I’m pleased to have two in for next Saturday in what looks like a pretty even year.”
Skyhook was a $575,000 Magic Millions purchase for his trainers from Arrowfield Stud and runs for a big ownership group that includes Matthew Ennis’s Stallion Match.
The 74th stakes-winner for Written Tycoon, Skyhook has a win and two placings from three starts with prizemoney topping $210,000 and is the second foal and first winner from Madame Pauline, a winning three-quarter sister by Redoute’s Choice to Group III winner Anders, stakes-winner Ostraka and two more stakes horses in Battleground and Satin Love.
Madame Pauline has no yearling for the sales this year, but produced a colt by Dundeel last year and was then covered by Maurice (Jpn).
