Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Madeliene Young, the star of the show at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening when she drove with great skill to land a treble, described Skylord as an all-rounder and a one-in-a-million pacer.
She said that after driving Skylord to an effortless victory, rating 1.57.4 over 1730m. Skylord began from the outside in the field of seven before surging to the front after 400m.
“He was in cruise control,” she said. “I just let him come out and see what unfolded. I held him together late when he had plenty left up his sleeve. His strength? Well, he’s got everything; he’s one in a million.”
Skylord, a winner at five of his nine starts, will begin from the inside of the back line in the group 3 $50,000 Caduceus Club Classic for three-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Friday night. Young, who owns Skylord in partnership with her elder sister Jocelyn, has opted to handle Imperium from barrier five, with Jocelyn taking the drive behind Skylord. Madeliene trains Imperium, and Jocelyn is Skylord’s trainer.
Madeliene has driven Skylord six times for three wins, two seconds and one fourth, and Jocelyn has handled the richly-talented three-year-old colt three times for two wins and a third placing. While Skylord and Im The Black Flash are sure to dominate the betting on the race, Imperium, a winner at two of his 13 starts, will be at long odds.
The clash between Skylord, Im The Black Flash and the talented Rocket City promises to be a highlight of the eleven-event program.
Im The Black Flash, trained by Gary Hall Snr, will be making his first appearance since finishing fifth behind Never Ending in the Golden Slipper on September 30. He will be handled by Gary Hall Jnr who was in the sulky when the New Zealand-bred colt made his Australian debut three weeks before the Golden Slipper.
It was in that event that Im The Black Flash raced in the breeze early and then set the pace before winning from Hez All the Rage, with final quarters of 28.5sec. and 28.4sec.
“That first-up run was awesome,” said Hall jnr. “He is working better now than he was before that win. We need to get in front of Skylord early. He has good gate speed and we will probably go forward at the start. He has come back really nice and has run some good times at home.”
Rocket City, trained and driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, has drawn out wide at barrier eight, but he is capable of a bold showing at his second run after a spell. He began from the No. 8 barrier in last Friday night’s Sales Classic and raced at the rear before fighting on strongly, out five wide, to finish sixth behind Lucapelo. He was hampered by a tiring runner 400m from home.
Banjup trainer Murray Lindau will be looking for a strong first-up showing from the speedy Hotly Pursued, who will be driven by Kyle Harper from the No. 3 barrier. The Huntsville gelding possesses excellent gate speed.