Sky's The Limit For Ryan's Gun 3YO

Skyhook defies back-breaking weight, heavy track and slow pace to take The Rosebud

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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.