Skyhook: A Rising Star's Golden Slipper Quest

In the high-stakes world of Australian thoroughbred racing, timing is everything. The clock is ticking for the connections of promising two-year-old Skyhook as they prepare for one final roll of the dice to secure a coveted spot in the 2025 Golden Slipper.

From Yearling Ring to Racetrack Promise

Sometimes, the most significant partnerships in racing happen through serendipity rather than planning. Such was the case with Skyhook, whose journey with his current connections began not in the auction ring but during a fortuitous stable visit.

Matthew Ennis was at Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou's training facility viewing another horse in work, Imperial State, when he was introduced to an unnamed chestnut colt that would later be known as Skyhook. The impression was immediate and compelling. Following the visit, Matthew discussed the promising youngster with his father John, and together they decided to purchase a majority share in the colt.

"It was as if the universe made it happen," recalls Matthew Ennis of Stallion Match, the racing syndicate he operates with his father John.

Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou initially purchased the colt for $575,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January 2024. Only after Matthew's visit to their stable and subsequent discussions with his father, John, did Stallion Match decide to acquire majority ownership from the trainers—a perfect example of how their established relationship with the Rosehill-based operation continues to yield exciting opportunities.

"We loved this horse from the moment we saw him," explains the father-son team behind Stallion Match, their racing syndicate. "His connection to stakes winners Ostraka and Southport Tycoon was compelling, but his physical presence, demeanour and Gerald & Sterling's opinion sold us."

With the colt already in training with Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou at their Rosehill-based operation, Stallion Match was buying into a horse already receiving expert care in the perfect environment for a Golden Slipper aspirant. This decision was particularly well-informed, as Stallion Match has enjoyed remarkable success with the stable. Multiple Group winner Deploy stands as one of their greatest shared triumphs. Not long after, Mayhem – who won his first two starts before being sold to Hong Kong for a substantial return on investment – highlighted Stallion Match's proven approach for identifying and acquiring talent.

Under their careful guidance, Skyhook has developed from a raw yearling into a legitimate Group contender in just months, continuing a fruitful partnership between Stallion Match and Ryan & Alexiou Racing.

The Skyline Heartbreak

Skyhook's Golden Slipper dream nearly became a reality in the Group 2 Skyline Stakes, a race that offers the winner automatic qualification for the world's richest two-year-old contest. With champion jockey Kerrin McEvoy aboard, the colt put in a performance that showed his immense talent and inexperience.

"That was disappointing because he had the run, got lost in running, had to re-run momentum and finished really well," McEvoy reflected after the narrow defeat. "He's a lovely horse going forward."

That second-place finish – tantalisingly close but not quite enough – means Skyhook must now take the alternate route to the Slipper, with this weekend's Group 3 Pago Pago Stakes at Rosehill representing his final chance to earn the prize money needed to secure a start in the $5 million feature on March 22nd.

Stallion-Making Pedigree

While Skyhook's immediate focus is on the racetrack, his pedigree suggests a potentially bright future at stud should his racing career continue its upward trajectory.

Sired by the dominant Written Tycoon, crowned Champion Australian Sire in 2020-21, Skyhook hails from a prolific sire line responsible for 1087 winners, including 54 at stakes level and 12 Group 1 winners. Written Tycoon's impact on Australian breeding has been profound, with stars like Ole Kirk, Capitalist, Written By, and Pippie highlighting his versatility as a stallion. Of particular pride to Stallion Match is their very own Southport Tycoon, who demonstrated remarkable versatility by winning Group 1 races at 1200m and 1600m.

On the dam side, Madame Pauline (by Redoute's Choice) brings additional class to the pedigree. As a three-quarter sister to the brilliant Anders and related to stakes winners Battleground and Satin Love, she perfectly complements Written Tycoon's speed-infused bloodlines.

Perhaps most intriguing for the ownership group is the presence of War Emblem in Skyhook's ancestral tree – a Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner whose stud career in Japan was famously compromised by his reluctance to breed. Despite limited opportunities, War Emblem did sire Japan Cup winner Shonan Pandora, suggesting his genetic contribution, while rare, can be significant.

Skyhook's pedigree has previously achieved stakes success at 1000m—1200 m at 2YO. However, most of its success has come from 3YOs over 1200m, as can be seen in Stallion Match's Aptitude Profile.

Development and Future Prospects

According to his trainers, Skyhook is particularly exciting because he's still developing physically. "He's set to be an even better three-year-old, with plenty of growth and physical strength to come," they note. After each race, they've observed him muscling up nicely – a promising sign for his future beyond juvenile racing.

The colt's temperament has also been a significant plus. "He's a great trainer, does everything he's asked to do, eats well and is 100% sound," his connections report – attributes that make him well-positioned to handle the pressure of a Golden Slipper campaign.

The Final Hurdle

This weekend's Pago Pago Stakes represents more than just another Group race – it's Skyhook's last chance to book his ticket to the Golden Slipper. Established in 1978 and named after the champion racehorse from the early 1960s, this Group 3 event over 1200 metres at Rosehill Racecourse is exclusively for two-year-old colts and geldings. Most crucially, it offers the winner exemption from the Golden Slipper ballot, making it a pivotal stepping stone for emerging talent.

History shows that success in the Pago Pago can translate to Golden Slipper glory, despite the challenging seven-day turnaround between races. Several horses have completed the coveted double, including Inspired (1984), Rory's Jester (1985), Stratum (2005), and most recently, Shinzo (2023), who broke a nearly 20-year drought since a horse had won both races. Statistically, about 10% of Pago Pago winners claim the Slipper – a testament to the rigorous test of a two-year-old's precocity, recovery, and resilience that this quick backup demands.

A strong performance will secure the necessary qualification and provide valuable experience on the Rosehill track, where the Slipper will be run just one week later. The tight turnaround creates an additional challenge, with barrier draws becoming especially crucial for horses attempting this quick backup.

Stallion Match's journey from identifying a promising yearling to a potential Golden Slipper contender has been a whirlwind of excitement, disappointment, and renewed hope. The Golden Slipper, first run in 1957 and now the world's richest race for two-year-olds, represents the pinnacle of juvenile racing in Australia. As one of the nation's "Grand Slam" races alongside the Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup, and Melbourne Cup, a victory would bring prestige and significantly enhance Skyhook's future breeding prospects.

As the colt steps onto Rosehill this weekend, he carries the expectations of his connections and the promising weight of his pedigree. The Golden Slipper, limited to just 16 starters, represents racing's most competitive and coveted prizes. Whether he makes it to the $5 million feature on March 22nd, Skyhook has already proven himself a young horse of considerable talent – one whose story is just beginning to unfold.

2025 Group 3 Pago Pago Nominations

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