Entirely Platinum capped off a stellar training performance by Team Hawkes to win the 2014 Sky High Stakes (1900m) in impressive fashion at Rosehill Gardens this afternoon.
Entirely Platinum wins the Group 3 Sky High Stakes in impressive fashion. Photo by Steve Hart
Entirely Platinum received a lovely run into the race and was far too strong for the rest of the field; racing away in the final stages to score a comfortable win from a fast-finishing Midsummer Sun and Desert Jeuney.
The Pentire gelding has made rapid progression this preparation, winning a non-metropolitan winners race and a benchmark 85 event at Warwick Farm, and co-trainer Michael Hawkes believes that there is still plenty of improvement ahead of the progressive gelding.
“The game plan was to get him relaxed and I told Corey (Brown) that he would do the rest,” Hawkes said.
“I thought he rode him brilliantly; he jumped in behind Jimmy and gave him cover and that made him switch right off.
“When he came around the corner and hadn’t moved on him yet it was all over.
“He is still learning, he is not there yet, but he is a lovely horse and he is just the perfect horse that you can dream of.”
Corey Brown flew in from Singapore to ride Entirely Platinum in the Sky High Stakes and Real Surreal in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens this afternoon and he gave the four-year-old a brilliant ride.
Brown was thrilled with the way that Entirely Platinum travelled during the Sky High Stakes and believes that the talented stayer will be even better when he gets an opportunity in longer staying events.
“It is good to be, the weather is good and it is good to be on good horses,” Brown said.
“He chased the line really hard and he had the perfect run in the race.
“I love the way that he lengthened out and hit the line.
“Once he learns what it is all about and the penny drops 100 percent, it will be interesting to see him over 1200 metres.
“He is a lovely horse.”
Imported stayers Prince Cheri and Diametric were both well-backed in the lead-up to the race, but faded badly in the final stages to finish towards the tail of the field.
Entirely Platinum has been included in the nominations for the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m), but Team Hawkes is yet to decide where the progressive gelding will have his next race start.
