Cover image courtesy of Pinhook Bloodstock International
1. Best value stallion in the country?
So You Think (NZ).
So You Think (NZ) | Standing at Coolmore Stud
2. Most exciting new stallion for 2025?
Broadsiding - Proper race performance over several seasons, fantastic genetics and an outstanding individual.
Broadsiding | Standing at Darley
3. Breeding more, less, or the same as last year?
Slightly more (fortunate to have a new breeding client).
4. Best breeder in the country?
Mill Park Stud. Gilgai Farm is right up there also.
Mill Park Stud | Image courtesy of Mill Park Stud
5. Best judge of a weanling/yearling?
Yearling - All FBAA members!
Weanling - Lots of excellent weanling pinhooking judges, but from a weanling to race perspective, Simon Miller's (WA) record is very good.
Simon Miller | Image courtesy of Simon Miller Racing
6. Best pound-for-pound trainer?
A tie between the co-best trainers in Warrnambool... Tom Dabernig and Symon Wilde.
7. Most talented young person you’ve come across recently?
I think Oscar Engelbrecht at Alma Vale is a guy with a big future.
Oscar Engelbrecht | Image courtesy of Alma Vale Thoroughbreds
8. Redistribute prize money across races, or happy as is?
Definitely redistribute prize money across racing at all levels metro/ provincial/ country (especially NSW), but do away with this paying down to 10th nonsense. I understand why they do it, but it needs to be reset. In some ways, it simultaneously rewards mediocrity and dilutes the dollar reward for actually finishing at the front of the field.
Yes, of course the elite races have to provide a higher level of financial incentive, but it’s too top-heavy, again especially in NSW. Too much $$ for too many (pop-up type) races. It's gone too far.
9. Tariff on imported horses - great idea or misguided protectionism?
A big NO to tariffs, for a start, we are Australasians, not Americans. Secondly, it would open up a whole can of worms regarding breeding stock. Kiwi horses, shuttle stallions, visiting runners, etc. Assuming the root of this question is about developing our staying ranks and population.
Colm Santry nailed it in a recent TTR article. Recalibrate the 2-year-old programming to cater to more (stakes) races over 1600m plus, as we move through the season, dovetailing into the classics of their 3-year-old year. The issue with that idea however, is the absurdity/stalemate surrounding the pattern etc. So it might be a long time before we ever see that getting off the ground.
10. Your best mate in the business?
That’s one of the best things about our game - the wonderful people you meet. If I had to have a first choice, probably my old mate Cameron Bennett from Flying Start Syndications.
Cameron Bennett | Image courtesy of Flying Start Syndications
We started in the business from a similar level, making our way, and we’ve bought a good number of really nice horses for not a lot of money, and had a lot of fun over the years. Good bloke, for a Queenslander!
