Vinery Stud has announced that Peter Orton will leave the business after 25 years, prior to this year’s breeding season.
Peter has managed Vinery’s Australian operation since its establishment in 2000. Under his leadership, Vinery has thrived, beginning with the acquisition and shuttle of More Than Ready, the young Southern Halo stallion who became a champion sire in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
Building on More Than Ready’s success, Peter developed Vinery Stud into one of Australia’s leading stud farms, with a premium resident broodmare band and an expanded stallion roster over this period which included other prominent sires such as Red Ransom, Mossman, All Too Hard and Testa Rossa.
Now, Vinery is positioned for its next phase, with young exciting stallions such as Exceedance, Hawaii Five Oh and Ole Kirk, who is the leading first season sire by winners, Stakes winners and prizemoney.
“Now that the sale of Vinery Stud has been finalised, it is an appropriate time to take the opportunity to step away and focus on my own thoroughbred farm and bloodstock portfolio.
This is something that I am very keen to do; however, it was most important that I leave at a time when the Vinery Stud operation is in a great place, with exciting young stallions coming through and a robust client base with strong broodmare portfolios to ensure the continued success and growth of the business.
The most important next step is to ensure that there is an appropriate handover to new management and to ensure that all Vinery clients, staff and bloodstock are well looked after.
I would like to thank all the staff, clients and the previous Vinery Partnership that owned the Stud farm for the previous 19 years, and prior to that Dr. Thomas Simon, who I worked with to establish the business in Australia back in 2000.” – Peter Orton
Vinery started as an integrated stallion stud farm with one of the leading broodmare bands in the Southern Hemisphere. In 2005, Vinery introduced an Investment Partnership, which acquired 75% of the business and included some of Australia's best thoroughbred breeders. With the introduction of the Partnership, Vinery changed its operating model and divested its ~90-mare broodmare band, which smashed the Australian broodmare record price three times.
Since then, Vinery has continued to operate as a leading commercial stallion stud farm, supported by a thriving broodmare band owned by the investment partners and external clients, which is highlighted in the Vinery bred racetrack performance, including the most two-year-old winners sold over the 23/24 racing season.
Vinery Stud shareholder Katie Page expressed her gratitude for Peter’s many years of service.
“Over his 25 years leading Vinery, Gerry and I have been the beneficiaries of Peter Orton’s peerless expertise, wise counsel and vision – both personally and professionally.
Peter, to say we are so grateful to you and to Adele is such an understatement. Our great friendship and mutual respect continue beyond the farm and we look forward to seeing you in January.”
Vinery Stud shareholder Steve McCann also thanked Peter.
“Peter has for many years been one of the most respected thoroughbred experts in the country and has made a tremendous contribution to both Vinery and the broader industry. I would like to thank Peter personally and on behalf of all of our clients and current and past shareholders.”
