Skyhook showed that class is irreplaceable and positioned himself strongly in the Stradbroke Handicap discussion via a dominant front-running success in the Group 3 $250,000 Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) at Hawkesbury on Saturday.
Trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou crafted a strategy that leading jockey Josh Parr executed perfectly, with the eye-catching chestnut dominating from start to finish in the Guineas.
“When Sterling and I were doing the form on the race on Thursday, we noticed there wasn’t a lot of early speed,” Ryan said.
“So, we decided to lead and take bad luck out of the equation. He won the Pago Pago Stakes last season when he led so we told Josh to ride him like the best horse in the race.
“Josh, who first rode for me 20 years ago, did everything right on Skyhook, it was a very good ride.
“It’s funny because a number of other jockeys knocked back the ride on Skyhook but when I saw Josh on a winner at Randwick last Saturday, I asked him to ride the colt – and I’m glad I did!”
The $3.40 chance Skyhook handled his 58kg topweight comfortably, prevailing by one-and-a-half lengths over Burma Star ($18), while Wootton Lass ($41) was a half-length further back in third.
Heavily supported Regal Award drifted to $2.70 favouritism yet failed to mount a serious challenge, finishing a disappointing fifth.
Skyhook’s return to the winners’ circle boosts Ryan and Alexiou’s belief in targeting major targets for the talented three-year-old over Brisbane’s autumn-winter series.
Ryan indicated he might prepare Skyhook for the Group 1 $3 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 13.
“Skyhook is a well-bred colt so you have to look at Group 1 options like the Doomben 10,000 (May 16),” Ryan said.
“But I believe this horse likes his races spaced and we might look at something like the (Group 3 $300,000) Fred Best Classic (1400m, Eagle Farm, May 30). If he wins that race, then he gets into the Stradbroke field.”
Skyhook tightened into fourth spot in Stradbroke betting at $15, trailing the $6 market leader Angel Capital.
Explore racing betting markets at leading Australian betting sites ahead of Skyhook’s potential Stradbroke Handicap campaign.
