Cover image courtesy of G1 Goldmine
1. Best value stallion in the country?
Castelvecchio. He is at a great farm at Arrowfield who support their stallions and consistently produce stakes winners. He has first crop multiple stakes winners, both male and female at the highest level.
Castelvecchio | Standing at Arrowfield
2. Most exciting new stallion for 2025?
Southport Tycoon. His will to win over varying distances was amazing. He retired sound, with speed, scope and a profile that appeals to commercial and owner-breeders.
Southport Tycoon | Standing at Widden
3. Breeding more, less, or the same as last year?
A touch less. The market is less forgiving at the moment, so we’re using this time to refine and sharpen our process so that we’re ready to capitalise on the expected crop shortage later.
4. Best breeder in the country?
In terms of consistency at the highest level it would have to be Arrowfield, but it’s hard to overlook Coolmore for scale and results.
Gallery: Matthew Ennis' best breeder picks
5. Best judge of a weanling/yearling?
Bill Mitchell. We have trusted his judgement since the beginning, combining it with data and we’ve managed to get multiple stakes winners, two horses to stud (and hopefully a third soon), all in less than 10 years.
Bill Mitchell | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
6. Best pound-for-pound trainer?
Tough question. Michael Freedman consistently produces winners. Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou always maximise the horses in their care. Both stables are incredible horsemen.
Michael Freedman | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
7. Most talented young person you’ve come across recently?
Annabel Archibald. Still early, but the care, love, and sheer grit she puts into the horses shows with the results she has already achieved.
Annabel Archibald | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
8. Redistribute prize money across races, or happy as is?
Generally speaking, yes, the top end certainly seems high for some, but overall I think racing in some provincials can still offer great returns.
9. Tariff on imported horses - great idea or misguided protectionism?
Misguided. Imports raise standards, and Australian breeding and racing has always thrived on global competition.
10. Your best mate in the business?
'Dad' - his background is in corporate bookmaking, but he’s been around horses since his teens. Nothing beats talking through mating plans, runners, winners, and even the losses with him.
