THE MEN behind the glamorous front of Wadham Park, Tylden, mean business.
As finely calculated and manicured as the artchitecurally-designed buildings and landscaped gardens, is the business plan of Dale Sutton and partner Peter Rowsthorn.
Founded in 2004, Wadham Park spans two states and some $80 million and given time, the stables’ red and gold diagonal stripes will be the colours to watch at the number one racing events.
IN 2002 the determined minds of Mr Sutton and Mr Rowsthorn (former chairman of Toll Transport) joined forces to create a state-of-the-art training centre located in the Gold Coast hinterland on the outskirts of Canungra.
Mr Sutton had just one stipulation: “If we were to build it, we were to build something special.”
The $20 million facility, established on 81 hectares and coined Wadham Park after a street Mr Rowsthorn grew up on, was later joined by an equine hospital located a kilometre down the road.
Despite success with the business, Mr Sutton said the comparably lower returns in Queensland, kept the business from succeeding commercially.
“We put together a business plan that we would become a training and breeding establishment and follow suit of some of the bigger breeding/training facilities.”
To pursue this goal, a shift south to a 55 hectare property at Tylden was made and the Queensland properties were put on the market.
Referring back to their baseline – the business plan – Mr Sutton and partner set about achieving their goals, picking up close-by Woodside Park Stud to devote to breeding.
From here, Newlands Stud, Seymour, joined the fold as an agistment, sale preparation and pre-training facility.
*Extract from full story to appear in Stock & Land, February t.
