Newcastle trainer Paul Perry is most famous for planning Choisir's pioneering trip to England in 2003 to claim the King's Stand Stakes-Golden Jubilee Stakes double at Royal Ascot.
But when it came to a first assault on his home track's richest race, the $1 million The Hunter, there was no plan.
Sky Lab is set to give Perry a maiden runner in The Hunter, which will be held for the fourth time this Saturday.
However, when asked if The Hunter was the plan for Sky Lab all along, Perry said: "Never."
"He had a trial a couple of months ago and something got on him in the trial," he said.
"It cut the back of his heel and I had a fair bit of trouble with him.
"He's missed his whole preparation really. He could have run in any one of those races at Randwick, but he's missed the lot."
After an eight-week let-up following the Gosford trial incident on August 29, Sky Lab hit the line well when second in a 1200-metre trial at Randwick on October 28.
"He's been good all the way through," Perry said.
"It's just one of those things that had to be treated and you can't race them that way, so he had to wait.
"He had a trial at Randwick the other day and I thought he trialled all right."
Sky Lab is better credentialled over further than the 1300m of The Hunter, making him somewhat of a surprise entry, but the five-year-old Real Impact gelding's class cannot be questioned.
He has won $517,955 in prizemoney across 18 starts, including four wins. He was a close second to Mo'unga in the group 1 Rosehill Guineas over 2000m in March last year.
Also in 2021, he was beaten in a photo in the Cameron Handicap (1500m) at Newcastle and was second in the Craven Plate (2000m).
However, he has produced over less ground, winning a benchmark 100 handicap first-up over 1400m at Rosehill in February this year.
Asked if Sky Lab would be good fresh over the shorter trip on Saturday, Perry said: "He'll be in trouble if he's not."
As for Sky Lab's chances, Perry said: "I'm just hoping. He's fit and well, and he's got to start somewhere."
Sky Lab, which will have Jason Collett aboard, was a $17 chance with Bet365 before Wednesday's acceptances and barrier draw. He blew out to $34 after drawing gate 15, which will drop to 12 in the 16-horse field if all emergencies come out.
In The Congo ($4) remained favourite after drawing two. Waihaha Falls (gate 12) is second favourite at $4.80 despite sitting as fourth emergency.
Final field/barriers: 1. Apache Chase (13), 2. Overpass (18), 3. Eleven Eleven (16), 4. Gem Song (6), 5. In The Congo (2), 6. Vilana (9), 7. Ingratiating (4), 8. Bandersnatch (5), 9. Lion's Roar (11), 10. Sky Lab (15), 11. Skyman (10), 12. Expat (20), 13. Swats That (14), 14. Tycoonist (19), 15. Aramayo (8), 16. Gravina (1). Emergencies: 17. Brutality (17), 18. Through The Cracks (7), 19. Blondeau (3), 20. Waihaha Falls (12).
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