Chris Watson
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018-020_BB June2015_Personality.qxp_Layout 1 3/06/2015 3:16 pm Page 18 June 2015 18 PERSONALITY PROFILE by Graeme Kelly CHRIS WATSON The Watson family can thank the weather gods for the start of their thriving thoroughbred enterprise at Mill Park in South Australia which began in earnest when a truck load of mares arrived at the sheep property to escape a cold and wet Adelaide winter. Now, more than 20 years later and with Chris Watson at the helm, the stud can boast 16 Gr.1 winners and a reputation as one of the finest nurseries in the country. ENINGIE in the south-east corner of South Australia has a population of less than 1000. MYet, rather surprisingly to many in the breeding industry, a property just outside the town’s boundaries is, quite possibly, the most prolific thoroughbred rearing ground in the nation. Since beginning to raise racehorses in a serious way just over 20 years ago the Watson family’s Mill Park Stud has produced 16 Gr.1 winners of the calibre of Gold Guru, Mummify, Princess Coup, Divine Madonna, Rebel Raider and Fawkner. This upward spiral began in the early 1990s when a large number of mares arrived from Toorak Park Stud in the Adelaide Hills to agist in the more favourable conditions of the south-east. Before that moment Peter and Serena Watson were breeding cattle and sheep on the 4046ha (10,000 acre) holding while only dabbling in breeding horses. Then when Gold Guru, Mummify and company began strutting their stuff on the racecourse, Mill Park’s fortunes improved quite dramatically. It was just the fillip the place needed because as Peter was to say later, “we turned a hobby into something that saved us. The way wool prices went, if we had still been relying on the sheep we’d have been on the bones of our backside.” The upshot is that 810ha (2000 acres) is now allotted to thoroughbreds and although Peter and Serena are still playing an integral role in the conduct of Mill Park their son Chris has, in more recent times, taken over as manager. “Mill Park has always been a family affair and a huge amount of the credit for the success of the stud must go to Peter and Serena,” Chris said. “Mum has always had a huge interest in the nutritional side and Dad and I spend a great amount of time assessing the stock and possible matings, while my sister Belinda who is a successful fashion designer, comes home as often as she can. “I think having the family involvement is important, and that plus a number of other factors have contributed to the winners we have been able to produce. We are on very different country, with sand over limestone, from your typical horse growing country in the eastern states of Australia, but we are fortunate, being close to the Southern Ocean, that we have a temperate climate, without having extremes of temperature. “Added to that, the area is renowned for growing receiving the utmost respect from all sections of the of the family,” Chris said. “Mum visited the property out animals for primary production, and I believe that industry. Chris says the family is fortunate to have a few times and loved it. Then, I think it was in 1973 applies to thoroughbreds. Our average paddock size is large compared to the norm and this ensures there become involved in such a vibrant industry and shortly after I was born, Mum and Dad began living at is a low stocking rate per paddock which allows for he is now “giving something back” as president of the Mill Park. They had little or no farming experience, but a natural, free-range upbringing. Everything points South Australian Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association they started running Charolais and Angus cattle before to the significant role the environment is playing and as a director of Thoroughbred Breeders Australia a tuberculosis scare led them towards having sheep.” because early on we achieved an amazing strike rate and Aushorse. Over those years Serena always had an interest with the mares on Mill Park producing Gr.1 winners The journey to the status the Watsons have attained in horses, especially thoroughbreds, and at one stage by stallions who weren’t fashionable.” had its beginnings more than 40 years ago when Peter held an owner-trainers’ licence. So while she and Peter Those factors, as well as the support of leading and Serena moved to Meningie from Adelaide. “The were running the farm Serena indulged in breeding South Australian racing identities, has led to Mill Park property was originally owned by my mother’s side from a mare or two. Les Irwin also introduced them 018-020_BB June2015_Personality.qxp_Layout 1 3/06/2015 3:16 pm Page 19 June 2015 19 to the art of pinhooking and this turned out The following season the London Bells (GB) mare Another bonus from working at Arrowfield came to be a successful venture. Les had been running St Clemens (GB) foaled a filly who was to capture the in 1993 when Peter Orton arranged for Chris to gain Narrung Stud, on the opposite side of Lake Albert WATC Fruit ‘n’ Veg-Gr.1 at Ascot as St Clemens Belle further experience at Airdrie Stud at Midway to Mill Park, before he joined Gooree. With the and by then Chris was well and truly immersed in Kentucky. At the time Brereton C. Jones, who was yearlings Serena bred and the pinhooked stock, the in the thoroughbreds. Kentucky’s Governor, owned Airdrie and Tim Thornton Watsons had for years made an annual pilgrimage During his years as a boarder at St Peter’s College was stud manager. “I was living with Tim and I had to the Adelaide yearling sales at Morphettville. in Adelaide he had always returned home on school a fantastic opportunity to go to the Kentucky Derby This opened the way to associations and friendships holidays to help his parents on the property. A capable with Tim and Brereton. It was the year Sea Hero won with Toorak Park Stud principals Harry Perks, hockey player, cricketer and cross country runner and it was one of the highlights of my life.” Trevor Robertson and Rodney Fairclough. as a student, Chris rose to become vice-captain of his Among the others, they met the renowned horseman boarding house, whose captain was Australian Football After finishing at Arrowfield in 1994, Chris decided Barry Appleton who was managing the Adelaide Hills League chief executive officer Gillon McLachlan. Gillon’s to take a sabbatical away from horses and went property for Perks and company. A very astute man younger brother Hamish, who is a well-known Channel to Kenya where he worked on the Wildenstein family’s Barry became a regular visitor to the Watson’s farm and 7 commentator, was “a couple of years” behind them. Ol Jogi Reserve, one of the most innovative wildlife conservation areas in the world. “They concentrate was impressed by the extensive layout and its pastures. “I had been helping with the horses and going to the So around 1990, when there was little feed on Toorak yearling sales while I was at school and I had really on trying to preserve the endangered species such Park and a bleak, wet winter was approaching, Barry caught the bug early on,” Chris said. “I always enjoyed as rhinos and elephants. The reserve has a huge arranged for Toorak Park’s mares to be sent to Mill Park. working with horses and riding as a youngster and menagerie and is set in the middle of the migration “As I recall there wasn’t much discussion before the found pony club and one-day events were all good fun. tracks, so being there for a couple of months was trucks arrived,” Chris said. “I think there was just I am not sure of the timing but I certainly viewed being a fantastic experience.” a phone call from the trucking company saying the in the thoroughbred industry as a career, and working From Kenya Chris went to Mount Coote Stud mares were turning up the next week. Once they within the farm as a long-term option. in Limerick. “I did a season at Mount Coote doing the arrived the mares were tipped out into the sheep “Les Irwin knew that, and when I was finishing yearlings. That included selling at Tattersalls and Goffs paddocks and the horse enterprise has just grown my education he suggested I find work with a major in Ireland. There I met a really good bloke named Ken from there, but as you can imagine it was a very steep stud in the Hunter Valley and I went to Arrowfield in Condon who is now a trainer based at The Curragh. learning curve.” 1991 straight after school. I worked under Peter Orton, I then had a great opportunity to work for Shadwell Among the mares to arrive unheralded was Proud which was an amazing experience because I learned at Nunnery Stud when Green Desert was firing Halo, a daughter of Don’t Say Halo (USA) who had so much from him. He is one of the industry’s leaders on all cylinders. I didn’t do a lot with the stallions, and a person for whom I have the utmost respect. scored four wins up to 2200m. A mating with Toorak but worked with the young stock during the breaking Park stallion Geiger Counter (USA) resulted in the “I did a bit of everything but I had a huge amount process and thus gaving me a good grounding in that foaling in 1994 of Gold Guru, whose five victories of involvement on the yearling side, culminating side of the business.” in the 1997-98 season featured the VRC Australian in being yearling manager for a year.