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New Paper
a day ago
- Sport
- New Paper
Sky's the limit for Ryan's gun 3YO
SYDNEY Gerald Ryan has drawn parallels between emerging colt Skyhook and his former top sprinter Menari, after the colt emulated the Group 1 place-getter with a first-up victory in the Listed The Rosebud (1,100m) on Aug 16. Prior to that, Menari had been the only horse to cart 60.5kg to victory in the Rosehill dash before going on to take out the 2017 Group 2 The Run To The Rose (1,200m) and finish third to stablemate Trapeze Artist in the Group 1 Golden Rose (1,400m). Skyhook (Kerrin McEvoy, $25) equalled that effort, conceding 7kg to runner-up Grand Prairie (Tom Sherry) to score by a half-length with favourite Pallaton (Tommy Berry) two lengths away in third. "He worked here on Wednesday week ago on the course proper and Jason, who has ridden work for me for 10 or 12 years, he said this is the best horse we've had since Menari," said Ryan. Skyhook had a strong two-year-old season, capturing the Group 3 Pago Pago Stakes (1,200m) and finishing seventh in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1,200m). However, his four starts had all been on firm tracks and Ryan admitted he was unsure how the son of Written Tycoon would handle the heavy 9 surface. "I went through all the Written Tycoon's (performances) on wet tracks and he hadn't got many wet trackers," said Ryan. "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." Ryan will follow the same template as Menari's, confirming Skyhook will be given a month until his next assignment in The Run To The Rose on Sept 13 ahead of the Golden Rose a fortnight later. "We were never going to go to the Golden Slipper until he won the Pago Pago Stakes," said Ryan. "His ideal preparation into the Slipper would have been if he had won that race at Randwick (Skyline Stakes) and gone three weeks into the Slipper. "That's one of the reasons we ran him today and got him up early. I don't reckon he's a horse that can go two weeks-two weeks apart. "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, Skyhook. If they had recalled entries for the Missile Stakes and run it today, I would've been tempted to run him in the Missile Stakes with 52.5kg on his back instead of this race with 60.5kg." Ryan then let in an interesting piece of trivia about how he had always been a fan of Written Tycoon as a sire, but never got round to buy a single progeny until Skyhook. "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," he said. McEvoy, who has ridden Skyhook to his two wins, lauded the chestnut three-year-old colt for digging deep into a track he did not necessarily like. "Nice win giving them all weight with 60.5kg on his back. He's an athlete, he hasn't strengthened up heaps but he has got a bit taller, and he has a lovely stride on him," said the three-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey. "I don't think he loved the ground, but he got through it and he'll stay a bit further. Whether he's at the top level, I'm not sure but he's not far off them." Ex-Kranji trainer Michael Freedman said favourite Pallaton ended up on the worst part of the track in the straight, when jockey Tommy Berry was forced back to the inside but was not disappointed with his return. "It was a combination of being fresh early, the pace dropping off mid-race and then having to go back to the inside," said Freedman. "We'll have a think about coming back here for the San Domenico Stakes in two weeks, but I haven't totally ruled out the Moir Stakes. "He would have only 52.5kg in that race and it's always run at a fast tempo which would suit him." Berry has already put a line through the run. "He was too keen in the run and barrier one meant we were in the inferior ground in the straight," he said. SKY RACING WORLD
Courier-Mail
10-08-2025
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
'Coming up good': Exciting prospects for Ryan's spring colts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Trainer Gerald Ryan is excited by the potential of his stable's three-year-old arsenal with Blitzburg and Skyhook set to get first opportunity to stake their spring claims in Saturday's Listed $200,000 Rosebud (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens. Ryan and co-trainer Sterling Alexiou are hoping several of their talented two-year-old contingent can make a positive transition into their three-year-old season with spring less than four weeks away. Pro Tips View All Aaron Mills - Last 28 Days Profit Profit 0 * ROI 0 Strike Rate 0 Units Tipped 0 Avg. Winner Odds 0 PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Group 3 winners Blitzburg and Skyhook are poised to make their return on home turf while King of Pop and Grand Eagle are down to trial at Rosehill Gardens on Tuesday. Group 3 Black Opal Stakes victor King Of Pop is in a 900m heat with two-time winner Grand Eagle also down to trial over 900m. 'Those two-year-olds that raced well in the autumn, those four colts are coming up good,' Ryan said. 'We have a couple of fillies that haven't raced that we have a bit of time for too. 'Blitzburg for certain will go to the Rosebud and we will decide on Skyhook after Tuesday morning. Skyhook winning the Pago Pago Stakes in March. Photo:. 'King Of Pop will wait and go to the San Domenico and Grand Eagle will probably start off in a Benchmark race and go to the Ming Dynasty.' Blitzburg's two-year-old season was reduced to four starts but the son of Snitzel made a strong impression, winning the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) on February 1. The talented colt had has had a long and steady build up for his return and was a winner of his most recent trial over 900m on July 29. 'Blitzburg has been in work a long time,' Ryan said. 'He had a small chip taken out of the bottom of his front joint after he won the Canonbury and that's why we had to stop with him. 'He went out in February and was back in work in the first week of April, on the water walker.' Recent Sydney Saturday winner Nashville Jack is expected to be among the nominations for the Rosebud while West Of Swindon could be in line to make his debut for new trainer Ciaron Maher. The Rosebud will now be the first stakes race of the new season in Sydney after the decision was made not to reschedule Saturday's Group 2 $300,000 Missile Stakes when the meeting was abandoned due to wet weather. The Premier's Cup Prelude over 1800m has been moved to Wednesday's Randwick Kensington card. Originally published as Trainer Gerald Ryan rates spring colt as Blitzburg and Skyhook prepare for returns
Sydney Morning Herald
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Ryan filly facing heavy track challenge at Randwick after setback
'She's gone six weeks now between runs,' he said. 'She was scratched on Wednesday, but it's got to the stage that she has to run.' Sequista, a $100,000 daughter of D'Argento, is part of Ryan-Alexiou's deep two-year-old ranks, which includes winners Blitzburg (Canonbury Stakes), King Of Pop (Black Opal Stakes), Skyhook (Pago Pago Stakes) and Grand Eagle. She is a $3.80 second elect with Sportsbet on Saturday with leading apprentice Braith Nock taking two kilograms off. He said there were no targets in mind past Saturday for Sequista. Ryan was more confident about the prospects of his other runner on the card, including First Mission, which is a $4 favourite in the 1400m Midway Handicap with apprentice Zac Wadick claiming two kilograms. The three-year-old Snitzel gelding, a $725,000 yearling buy, won his most recent start on a heavy 8 at Canterbury. 'He seems to get through it,' he said. 'He's not a big, strong, heavy horse that might struggle in heavy ground. He's a light, athletic, nifty horse who gives the impression he handles it. 'The wet tracks he's been on so far, he's performed well on. Every heavy track is different, but he's handled soft at Hawkesbury and Warwick Farm, and he handled heavy at Canterbury. 'He's a nice horse; he's got good ability.' As for the Queensland winter carnival, Ryan said recently gelded three-year-old Just Party would fly the stable's flag. Loading 'He'll go up and run in the Fred Best Classic on Saturday week,' he said. 'He's come back good, and he ran well first up. He'll race there then probably go to a race at Eagle Farm a couple of weeks later, then he might go to the Winx Guineas.'
The Age
22-05-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Ryan filly facing heavy track challenge at Randwick after setback
'She's gone six weeks now between runs,' he said. 'She was scratched on Wednesday, but it's got to the stage that she has to run.' Sequista, a $100,000 daughter of D'Argento, is part of Ryan-Alexiou's deep two-year-old ranks, which includes winners Blitzburg (Canonbury Stakes), King Of Pop (Black Opal Stakes), Skyhook (Pago Pago Stakes) and Grand Eagle. She is a $3.80 second elect with Sportsbet on Saturday with leading apprentice Braith Nock taking two kilograms off. He said there were no targets in mind past Saturday for Sequista. Ryan was more confident about the prospects of his other runner on the card, including First Mission, which is a $4 favourite in the 1400m Midway Handicap with apprentice Zac Wadick claiming two kilograms. The three-year-old Snitzel gelding, a $725,000 yearling buy, won his most recent start on a heavy 8 at Canterbury. 'He seems to get through it,' he said. 'He's not a big, strong, heavy horse that might struggle in heavy ground. He's a light, athletic, nifty horse who gives the impression he handles it. 'The wet tracks he's been on so far, he's performed well on. Every heavy track is different, but he's handled soft at Hawkesbury and Warwick Farm, and he handled heavy at Canterbury. 'He's a nice horse; he's got good ability.' As for the Queensland winter carnival, Ryan said recently gelded three-year-old Just Party would fly the stable's flag. Loading 'He'll go up and run in the Fred Best Classic on Saturday week,' he said. 'He's come back good, and he ran well first up. He'll race there then probably go to a race at Eagle Farm a couple of weeks later, then he might go to the Winx Guineas.'
