Skytalker was giving his rivals a huge start coming to the corner at Belmont last Wednesday but favourite punters weren’t perturbed as soon as Willie Pike gave him clear running in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Reunion Maiden (1200m).
The lightly-raced son of deceased sire I’m All The Talk launched himself at the leaders to win going away by more than two lengths from Canny Rock (Awesome Rock) and Sir Eyrelton (Smart Missile). “He’s been a bit of a headache with several small issues but we were very confident today,” part-owner and trainer Indianna Weinert admitted.
“He’s still learning and isn’t the type to like working his way through a field. There are no big plans this prep and he should eventually get out to 1600m and 1800m.”
First impressions were favourable from Pike after he let rip aboard Skytalker. “He’s a lovely horse with a good brain on his shoulders. He jumped fast and I could have been closer but decided to sit back, cut the corner and then ease into the open.”
Skytalker had flashed ability on debut in a winter juvenile at Belmont last year flying home at $101 to finish a neck second to subsequent G2 WATC Derby winner A Lot Of Good Men (A Lot). He was bred and sold by Forest View Farm for $40,000 at the 2022 Perth Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
His dam Angel Sky is three-from-three at stud and she has a yearling filly by Playing God that was purchased by Sydney trainer Brad Widdup for $210,000 at this year’s Perth Magic Millions. Forest View owners Ben and Jo Duncan sent the mare to Darling View Thoroughbreds sire Splintex last September.