Arguably one of the leading 2yo colts last season with victory in the Group 3 Pago Pago Stakes, Written Tycoon’s Skyhook resumed with a significant weight impost to win the Listed Rosebud at Rosehill on Saturday.
The conditions of the $200,000 feature 3yo race saw the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexious trained Skyhook carry 60.5kg, two and a half more than the next highest weighted runner Blitzburg (Snitzel).
With money coming for the one-time Golden Slipper favourite Pallaton, the Michael Freedman trained Wootton Bassett colt jumped away the race favourite with Skyhook on the second line of betting just ahead of impressive last start winner Nashville Jack (Farnan).
With just six runners facing the starter, it was Brad Widdup’s Nashville Jack who went forward to take up the lead with Blitzburg sitting just off him in second.
As the field headed to the home turn and outsider Peleus (Pariah) started to pull himself forward to be in a challenging position, Kerrin McEvoy was bidding his time in last position aboard Skyhook.
As the six runners where almost in a line reaching the 300m mark, Pallaton was making his move along the inside rail while Skyhook had gone to the outside of the field to make his challenge.
Coming through the middle of the six was the Peter Snowden trained Grand Prairie (I Am Invincible) who momentarily took the lead before Skyhook’s class and determination saw the colt pull clear, winning by a half-length margin.
With Skyhook carrying 7kgs more than the runner up, the victory over Grand Prairie was even more impressive, with Pallaton a further two lengths back in third.
Taking his record to two wins and two placed efforts (all at black type level) from just five starts and over $380,000 in prizemoney, the exiting colt holds a nomination to the Group 1 Golden Rose on September 27.
Although very confident in the ability of his colt, Ryan was slightly concerned about the wet track.
"I went through all the Written Tycoon's (performances) on wet tracks and he hadn't got many wet trackers," Ryan said.
"But he's had a great prep. He's a horse that doesn't take heaps of work. He doesn't get gross and he's got the right attitude."
Having won the Rosebud with Menari back in 2017 before that colt went on to win the Group 3 Run To The Rose before contesting the Group 1 Golden Rose, Ryan saw no reason not to follow the same path with Skyhook.
"That's one of the reasons we ran him today and got him up early because I don't reckon he's a horse that can go two weeks-two weeks apart," he said.
"He's a horse that needs his races spaced. We'll now go four weeks into The Run To The Rose and then two weeks into the Golden Rose.
"He's a good horse.
"We've been going to the sales looking at Written Tycoons ever since Written Tycoon went to stud and this is the only Written Tycoon we've bought. We loved him at the sales."
Purchased by Ryan and Alexiou for $575,000 from the draft of Arrowfield Stud at the Magic Millions yearling sale, the chestnut colt races for a large group of owners headed by his trainers and Matthew Ennis’s Stallion Match.
Skyhook is the second foal, and first winner out of the dual winning Redoute’s Choice mare Madame Pauline, herself a three-quarter sister to Group 3 winner Anders (also a winner of the Listed Rosebud) and the Listed winner Ostraka.
Madame Pauline currently has a yearling colt by Dundeel and will not have a foal this season after unfortunately slipping to Maurice (Jpn).
Skyhook is one of 77 stakes winners headed by 17 individual Group 1 winners for Champion Sire Witten Tycoon who will stand at Yulong this season at a Private Fee.
