Skyhook ticked an important box by stretching his brilliance to a mile with an emphatic win in the Gunsynd Classic, putting himself firmly in the frame for a shot at the Golden Eagle in the spring.
Co-trainer Sterling Alexiou confirmed the three-year-old had earned a spell after taking out Saturday’s feature at Eagle Farm, and while the win was a consolation after he didn’t get a start as an emergency in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap, it also gave connections an opportunity to test him over 1600m.
Skyhook hadn’t previously raced beyond 1400m, and his Brisbane success opened the door for a potential tilt at the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at the back-end of the year.
“It’s a big carrot to say no to, the Golden Eagle,” Alexiou said.
“(Doncaster Mile winner) Sheza Alibi is probably going there, but you never run away from one horse, albeit she looks like a very bloody good one.”
Alexiou said he and training partner Gerald Ryan would wait for the dust to settle before discussing a program for Skyhook in the spring, but mindful he was still an entire, they were keen to step him back up to elite company at some stage.
“Possibly the Premiere (Stakes), Silver Eagle, Golden Eagle but nothing in concrete yet,” Alexiou said in reference to their spring options.
“We wanted to make our mind up after today and work out where we want to go and then talk to the ownership group.
“A lot of those races next prep are not Group Ones, but he is an entire. Possibly, down for the C F Orr late spring as well, which could be a nice race for him at Caulfield.”
Skyhook was a Group 3 winner at two, and finished fourth to Beiwacht in last year’s Golden Rose (1400m).
However, Alexiou said he had returned physically stronger this campaign, allowing him to make his own luck on speed, and he expected the three-year-old to continue developing.
“I reckon he will make that progression to weight-for-age next campaign,” he said.
“A lot of people say, ‘you’ve worked out how to ride him this prep’, but back to when we were running him in the Golden Rose, he wasn’t strong enough to do it both ends.
“He would plateau on his runs riding him that close, where this preparation he’s a much stronger horse.”
