Skyhook heads a fruitful Saturday for graduates

Last week’s run of success by Arrowfield graduates continued on Saturday at Rosehill with five Group race performances headed by 4YO Skyhook’s 4th Group victory in the $300,000 Theo Marks S. 1300m G2, with fellow graduate Verona Rose an excellent third. 
Read more: A brilliant week of graduate success

Bring on the 🦅! It’s a G2 Theo Marks S. score for Skyhook (Written Tycoon x Madame Pauline)♥️

A brilliant start to his Spring prep and a brilliant ride by Kerrin. Congrats to all his owners and our team! pic.twitter.com/YiSgJAZ5Qv

— Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou Racing (@RARacing_) September 12, 2026

Skyhook’s jockey Kerrin McEvoy said, “I think he’s in for his best preparation yet. He feels bigger and developed. Behind the gates, he was walking around like he owned the place.

“It’s always a good sign for a horse moving forward in a prep. His trials have been pleasing and it was a nice kick-off point today. We got into a nice trailing spot, and he was able to produce a nice finish.”

Skyhook, a $575,000 purchase by trainers Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou from Arrowfield at 2024 Magic Millions, is out of Madame Pauline (by Redoute’s Choice), one of a small number of mares Arrowfield sent to Written Tycoon in his first year at Yulong after his lone season with us in 2020. His 2021 crop has so far produced 107 winners from 133 starters, 4  of them Group 1 winners including the Arrowfield-bred  Private Life, plus Group 3 winner and Epsom hope Althoff among 14 stakeswinners and 25 stakes performers.

Skyhook is raced by the Ryan & Alexiou stable with a large group of owners including Stallion Match & Legacy Thoroughbreds and his 5 wins, all at stakes level, and four placings from 14 starts take his earnings past $1 million. He is nominated for both the $1.5 million Epsom H. G1 and $10 million Golden Eagle G1.

Madame Pauline, a speedy three-quarter sister to Group winner Anders and stakeswinners Ostraka & Caffe Florian, has a 2YO colt by Dundeel, and an August-born colt foal by Castelvecchio. Arrowfield is also breeding from Skyhook’s unraced half-sister Marinette (by Shalaa), whose first foal is a yearling colt by Castelvecchio. She produced a colt by Vandeek earlier this month and visits Maurice this Spring. 

Dual Group winner Verona Rose (Castelvecchio-Minamya by Makfi) has already returned $755,000 on her $40,000 Inglis Classic purchase price paid by trainer Gary Portelli and she is on target for another successful campaign. Her 2YO half-brother Southern Rise (by Hitotsu) is also in the Portelli stable, and Minamya’s last foal is a yearling full brother to Verona Rose.

3YO colts St Gotthard (2nd, Run To The Rose 1200m G2 and a Group 3 winner last season) & new Group performer Tenenbaum (3rd, Ming Dynasty Quality 1400m G3), and last season’s Group 1-winning mare Lazzura (3rd, Sheraco S. 1200m G2) confirmed they’re also ready to step up again this Spring.

They are all by reigning Champion Sire Snitzel from active Arrowfield mares: Ms Bad Behavior (by Blame), foaling to The Autumn Sun and visiting him again; C’Est Beau La Vie (by Bernardini), foaling to Anamoe; and Laguna Azzurra (by Heart’s Cry) due to foal to Switzerland and booked to The Autumn Sun.