Connections Cast Ep 16: Peter Orton

Orton is one of the most respected professionals in the industry, a reputation he has built not only through his substantial experience, including working with two of the most influential stallions of modern times, Danehill (USA) and More Than Ready (USA), but through his calm and thorough methodology of building and maintaining elite thoroughbred farms and developing star stallions.

The 'Vinery project' began for Orton in 2000, with Dr Tom Simon headhunting the long-time Arrowfield manager as the right man to spearhead his ambitious vision for the Hunter Valley farm.

Orton talks through the process for redevelopment of the farm over the past 20 years.

"We changed quite a bit, repaired a lot on the way and changed a few things. Development of farms is something that has to come from the level of management control," he said.

"It’d been a good farm for a long time and has been producing good horses. It’s a spectacular property in itself, working with that, you can certainly get the best out of it.

"It's a combination of respecting the history, respecting the name and putting in place a facility that is going to take you into the future."

Orton had the exact experience to execute that vision, having previously worked for John Messara for 17 years, firstly at Middlebrook Park and then at Arrowfield. He saw close at hand Messara's ambitious plans come to fruition.

"Considering John started with seven yearlings and 11 broodmares and Rancher at Middlebrook it progressed pretty quickly," he said.

"He said, 'I can't just keep buying a couple of fillies to race and buying the odd broodmare, this is going to take me forever'. These Sydney-based guys had no time or patience for that.

"He bought out Robert Sangster's breeding stock in Australasia, which was massive, he also bought out Jim Fleming, which was Stone Lodge's property, and he had a beautiful band of broodmares as well.

"He collected up a lot of these businesses and the way that John thinks is so far ahead of the game, he pulled the resources together. This was the whole process."

Orton played a major role in Messara's expansion from Middlebrook Park to the new Arrowfield operation in 1986, with the acquisition of the Arrowfield vineyard at Jerry's Plains.

"There was about 800 acres of vines we pulled out, we had tractors running 24 hours a day. It was the most exciting project for a young person to be involved in," Orton said.

Danehill days

Messara's ambition was also evident in his bloodstock dealings and it was the decision to shuttle Danehill in 1990 that helped launch Arrowfield as a huge player in not only the Australian market but the global market as well.

He was also a horse which taught Orton a lot about stallions.

"Just with temperament. They had to have the right temperament to be asked to handle what these shuttle horses were asked to handle in the early days," he said.

"The health of the airflow on the planes weren't the same. Stress, right across the board, is the key to everything but Danehill had the most amazing temperament and he set a benchmark that others could not live up to."

Orton said the 'blind auction' which saw Danehill head to Coolmore's ownership permanently in 1995, was a tough time, but one where the commercial realities of the industry became clear.

Moving to Vinery saw Orton end up working with another legendary shuttler, More Than Ready.

"Again, he was just a special horse. He had the same sort of temperament and work ethic. He's 25 now and has covered 125 mares in Kentucky this year and had a 90 per cent fertility rate," he said.

"They are special horses and we are just lucky to have anything to do with them."

With the Australian industry particularly focussed on locally bred stallions at the moment, Orton said there is still plenty of scope for a strategic use of shuttle stallions in the Australian marketplace.

"I don’t think bringing them out in tens of dozens is the way to do, but you just have look around the world to see the opportunities that may have something to offer," he said.

"We should always be open-minded to shuttle stallions and what they can do for us. There are certainly different lines, like Street Cry, look what he has done, he produced a Winx, so we have to keep on doing it."

Orton also speaks on a wide range of other experiences, giving his thoughts on the importance of working with good people and the excitement he has for the future of the thoroughbred industry.