Skyerush atones in Emancipation Stakes

By Mandy Cottell

SYDNEY, April 28 AAP - Bonny mare Skyerush will be considered for a crack at the Doomben Cup after she burst through a narrow gap to land a thrilling victory in Saturday's Group Two Emancipation Stakes at Randwick.

The Guy Walter-trained mare went one better than her second to Sworn To Secrecy 12 months ago and in doing so may have earned herself a trip to Brisbane for the Group One 2000m race on May 19.

Well backed from $6.50 to start the $5.50 second favourite, Skyerush settled midfield and shouldered her way between runners in the straight, bursting to the front and proving too strong for the gallant Fibrillation ($6.50) to score by a long neck.

In a blanket finish, Divorces ($8.50) was only a short head away third.

Walter was delighted to see Skyerush land her first Group victory with her previous highlight a Listed win in last year's Belle Of The Turf Stakes at Gosford.

She did it on a seven-day backup after finishing runner-up to Lightinthenite last weekend.

"I didn't intend to run her last Saturday but she's an older mare and she's taken a while to get fit," Walter said.

"She just wanted to win today and that's really been the mark of her career.

"She won four staying races in a row as a younger horse but she's not really a stayer and she ran really well in the Myer last year when she was fourth to Hurtle Myrtle."

That was in Group One company and Walter is weighing up whether to give her another shot at that level at Doomben.

"I've nominated her for the Doomben Cup," Walter said.

"Whether that's a bridge too far I'm not sure. Race day is a bad day to make decisions. We'll let the dust settle."

Blake Shinn had won four races on Skyerush before Saturday and said he had a lot of time for the six-year-old.

"It was a long-range plan to win this race so it's nice to see it pay off," Shinn said.

"It hasn't been the best carnival for me. I know I just missed in the Oaks (aboard Aliyana Tilde) and I've been working really hard."

Tim Martin, trainer of Fibrillation, said she could also head to Queensland for the Brisbane Cup.

"When mares like this are in form I don't like to stop them. We'll see how she pulls up," Martin said.