Sky Lab launches to give Paul Perry Magic Millions victory

The five-year-old gelding, which Perry bought for $48,000 at the 2019 Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale, made a sustained run around the field from the 800m mark to hit the lead with 200m to go before holding on by a neck from David Vandyke-trained Street Dancer.

The $592,500 first prize almost doubled his career stakes to $1,208,830 and took him to five victories in 23 starts.

Perry was full of praise for the Real Impact gelding, which carried topweight of 60 kilograms, and jockey Jason Collett, who was forced to travel wide around the home turn in search of clear running.

"He rode him well, he rode him really well," Perry told the Newcastle Herald from the Gold Coast.

"Carrying the weight and all, it was a darn good effort.

"He was following Warning all the way and he wasn't taking him anywhere, and when he went out and got around them and got going a bit, it put him right into the race.

"And I think he was in the best part of the track too, so it was good."

A $6 chance, Sky Lab carried 2.5kg more than any other horse in the race and was having his fifth run this preparation.

A leg injury from a barrier trial mishap delayed Perry's spring plans with Sky Lab, which resumed with an eye-catching sixth in the $1 million The Hunter (1300m) at Newcastle in November.

He finished strongly again when seventh in The Gong (1600m) at Kembla before a fifth in the group 2 The Ingham (1600m) then a close second in the group 3 Summer Cup (2000m), both at Randwick.

"I was fairly confident with him, other than the weight," Perry said.

"He's never been better the horse and a couple of his recent runs have been sensational.

"He's had nothing go right for him this preparation and even his last two or three, he should have been in the finish or won.

"He got his chance today, but he's probably raced better horses than today's as well."

The race, and most others on the rich Magic Millions program, were delayed from Saturday to Thursday because of a wet track.

Perry thought the postponement only helped Sky Lab.

"He's settled in so well up here, in the sunshine and all, as they do and I think it really suited him," he said.

Collett said Sky Lab settled well behind a solid tempo after going back to the last pairing from the draw in gate 12.

"We had a wider gate and obviously a fair bit of weight but he was lovely and relaxed for the first half of the race and the pace seemed genuine enough," Collett told Sky Racing.

"I was able to just work my way into it and I was there very quickly on the scene."

Perry was unsure of the next target for Sky Lab, which raced for the first time outside of NSW.

"We'll just let him get over this and find something," he said. "We'll give him a bit of a blow and get him back for the autumn."

In the $2 million main races, the Tony Gollan-trained Skirt The Law won the 2YO Classic, while Richard and Will Freedman-prepared Fashion Legend took out the Guineas.

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