Ennis bullish about Skyhook: ‘We always thought he was a Slipper horse’

Cover image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography

Skyhook’s emphatic victory in the G3 Pago Pago Stakes wasn’t just a thrilling moment for connections—it was a testament to the power of pedigree analysis. For part-owner Matthew Ennis, the win was both a personal triumph and a resounding endorsement of his Stallion Match program, the innovative system that flagged the colt as a standout prospect.

Now, with the Golden Slipper looming, all eyes are on Skyhook. Can he back up in just seven days and deliver on the big stage?

The beginnings of Skyhook

When asked how he came to be part-owner of the talented colt Skyhook (Written Tycoon), Matthew Ennis, Chief Executive Officer of Stallion Match shared, “It’s a bit of a funny story actually. We analyse every sale globally, and a few horses from each sale stand out as potential flags for us to look at aqcuiring. Skyhook looked like he had the pedigree makings to be an elite galloper, he had a lot going for him.”

“I knew deep down, he would be a bit too expensive for us, so I let him go a bit reluctantly. Gerald and Sterling ended up purchasing him for $575,000 from the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

“One day, while in the stable looking at another horse of mine, and I saw him. Gerald mentioned they still had a big chunk of him available, so it was pretty much a done deal from there.”

“Naturally, we were attracted to him, especially given our success with his close relation, Ostraka, who we race with Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald. He’s already won over a million dollars.”

Skyhook is also out of a three-quarter sister to Ostraka (Pariah), Battleground (Snitzel), and Anders, who was a very quick racehorse and is now at stud.

“We’ve always had faith in this colt. We always thought he was a Slipper horse,” said Ennis.

“The way he convincingly defeated a quality field in the Pago Pago on Saturday confirmed what we’ve known all along, this is a genuine racehorse with the temperament and ability to handle the pressure of a Golden Slipper.”

Has he pulled up well?

After a gruelling run in extreme heat on Saturday, one of the biggest concerns was how the young colt would recover.

Ennis reassured, “I saw him this morning, and he looks a treat. He has pulled up really well, and the team seems happy. So, at this stage, full steam ahead.”

Co-trainer Sterling Alexiou confirmed the stable were happy with how the colt was tracking,

“He has pulled up surprisingly well, probably the best of our runners from Saturday. But, surprisingly, they all came through well despite such a hot day.

"We had Racing New South Wales trot up the Slipper horses today, and he was great. He trotted up well, scoped clean, and did some light treadmill work this morning.

“Maybe avoiding the truck trip helped ours, I’m not sure how others pulled up, but ours have done very well. Which is great as it was an extremely hot day.”

When asked to describe his characteristics and mannerisms, Alexiou said “He’s a nice colt with a good brain. Physically, he doesn’t look like a powerful 2-year-old type; he’s doing it all on raw ability.

"It’s exciting to have him alongside King Of Pop. They’re both going super and look like two strong, legitimate chances in an even Slipper field.”

Stallion Match: ‘What is it?’

Stallion Match was only softly launched late last year, a complementary brand to G1 Goldmine, and Ennis is proud of how the program has been received early on.

“The biggest change with Stallion Match is its simplicity.

“It’s a super high-level way of analysing a mating, without getting into the nitty gritty like we do in G1 Goldmine.

“G1 Goldmine is set up in a way that you can really pull a pedigree apart, and find out what’s happening, whereas with Stallion Match we really try to simplify it by asking, ‘What’s the father? What’s the mother? And then, is it good, and how good?’

“That’s really the difference, we don’t really go into the nitty gritty as such.”

Ennis describes the program as having been designed as being a point of difference and to suit the market in a quick and easy way.

“It’s unlike anything else out there at the moment,” Ennis said. “It’s a stallion directory with a real focus on analysis.

“There’s the pedigree-savvy breeder, then there’s always been that commercial breeder, and then there’s been the mum and dad breeders that aren’t necessarily too interested in diving too deep into a pedigree. Stallion Match offers benefits to them all.”

Where does Skyhook fit in with this analysis?

Ennis takes immense pride in his new venture, and for Stallion Match, Skyhook’s rise as a Golden Slipper contender and sought-after stallion prospect is a major validation of their thinking.

“Hand on heart, our pedigree analysis works,” Ennis declared with justifiable pride. “There’s no smoke and mirrors—the system works, and it’s totally free.”

Skyhook rated as a ‘20/20 Match’ under Stallion Match’s analysis. This means that his mating has two or more successful Graded stakes winners with over 20 shared ancestors within five generations. While only 45 per cent of matings achieve a 20/20 Match, an impressive 70 per cent of stakes-winning horses are bred on it, increasing the likelihood of success.

“Last weekend, 90 per cent of the stakes winners were 20/20 matches. We only did a soft launch of the program late last year with minimal marketing, and we’re already getting over 15,000 unique views per week, so we’re heading in the right direction.”

“We don’t operate with the massive numbers some larger racing operations do,” Ennis explained. “Our approach is targeted and selective. Each acquisition is carefully considered when working with a smaller portfolio. Skyhook’s success highlights the effectiveness of our process.”

A partnership built on trust

The relationship between Matthew Ennis, Stallion Match and Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou’s training partnership is one built on trust.

This collaboration has already delivered success with multiple Group winner Deploy (Fastnet Rock) and Hong Kong sale success Mayhem (Russian Revolution), and with Skyhook, it may reach even bigger heights.

“We get on very well, and they are very honest in their dealings with us, and we had fantastic success with Deploy previously,” Ennis said.

Deploy was a very good horse for the team, the son of Fastnet Rock was an eight-time winner including in the G2 Theo Marks Stakes in track record time, the G2 Moreton Cup and the G3 Show Country Handicap. He picked up just over $830,000 in his career.

Alexiou added, “We have a great relationship with Matthew and the team, whether it’s about racing or just chatting rubbish! They haven’t had a huge number of horses with us, but they’ve had great luck with Deploy and Mayhem, whom we later sold to another jurisdiction.”

“Gerald and Sterling have complete faith in us, our pedigree analysis and selection process, just as we have total confidence in their training program,” Ennis said.

Naturally, stud farms are interested

Skyhook’s electrifying Pago Pago triumph has turned heads across the thoroughbred industry, igniting strong interest from top-tier stud farms eager to secure the colt’s valuable breeding rights.

“As expected, stud farms are keen,” Ennis confirmed. “Most of the big names in the Hunter Valley are sniffing around. One interesting thing about Skyhook is that he’s not already owned by a farm, so he’s well and truly available.”

With an impressive race record, a Group 3 win, and a proven pedigree, being by Written Tycoon and out of a Redoute’s Choice mare, with a million dollar earner and a current stallion close-up in his pedigree, Skyhook is beautifully profiled for a future stallion.

“We’ll consider all offers,” Ennis stated. “But right now, our focus is on the Slipper. We have fantastic owners, and these opportunities don’t come along often.

“If a deal is done before the Slipper, so be it. If it happens afterwards or a long way down the track, so be it. We are in a wonderful position and we are all very excited.”

With the Golden Slipper fast approaching, all eyes turn to Tuesday’s barrier draw, which will play a crucial role in race tactics.

“Whatever happens in the Slipper, this horse has a bright future,” Ennis said.

“Whether that’s continuing his racing career or eventually heading to stud, we’re excited about what lies ahead. Right now, though, we’re focused on Saturday and the opportunity to compete in Australia’s most prestigious 2-year-old race."

Before that, however, Ennis has a major responsibility in choosing Skyhook’s barrier draw on Tuesday morning.

"I think I’ll be sweating more than the horses were last Saturday! I’ll be extremely nervous with all eyes on me," he admitted.

“One thing’s for sure, he’s super adaptable and versatile. He’s proven he can lead or take a sit, so I’m pretty excited.”

Alexiou joked, “He’s deadset on a hiding to nothing. If he draws well, Matt’s done his job. If he gets a bad gate, he won’t be on anyone’s Christmas card list for a while!

“The horse isnt one dimensional though, and he seems to handle anything well. We are very much looking forward to the Slipper.”