Trots Centre: How Pedro discovered gold with Oro

Three letters have followed Pedro Mellington around for all of his breeding career and little did he realise that he carried with him the golden touch.

The Rokewood breeder adopted the Oro line “20 to 30 years ago”, a three-letter prefix or suffix that has adorned all his horses, including Execution Oro, who contests tonight’s Durham Park 3YO Pace at Ballarat.

“Oro came from an old mate of mine, Eric Berlund,” Mellington said. “His son married my sister years ago.”

Berlund was not just a breeder, Mellington says, but “started the races at Ballarat and the Showgrounds for 20 years”.

“He sold me a couple of broodmares. He was getting out because he was getting too old,” he said. “He said 'take these mares on one condition – all the horses you breed you put Oro at the start or the end of the name'.

“I think it means ‘love’ or ‘fantastic’. I think it’s French. I never went into it. I didn’t care as long as the horse could win a race.”

In fact, google translate tells us Oro is Spanish for gold, which is also apt for the fun ride Mellington’s had since stepping into breeding.

“The first horse we bred from Eric’s mare (Oro Medoro) was High Oro, who won about six and I thought how easy is this game?” he said.

“I have a couple of different lines now, but the bread and butter is probably still the Oros. I had three 30 years ago and have kept the best fillies down the line.”

That includes Oro Sarnel, a mare bred by Eric Berlund who Mellington would take ownership of. She would produce Helzi Oro (by Cabriolet), who would produce Totally Oro (by Totally Ruthless, $82,732), whose third and final mare would be Shining Oro (by Auckland Reactor, $66,160).

“I think she’ll win a Group 1,” he said of Shining Oro (pictured), his stable's star who was set to contest Saturday night’s Jane Ellen Group 3 mares race and the Elizabeth Clarke Mares Triple Crown to follow, though they have again been put on the backburner owing to Melbourne’s covid-19 outbreak.

Mellington still has much to look forward to, including to Execution Oro’s attempt to build on her impressive start to her career in the first at Bray Raceway.

Having won on debut for trainer Emma Stewart the three-year-old by Mcardle out of Living Oro followed up with successive third placings.

“She took a little bit of getting there, she still has a little bit to learn but is improving with each start,” Mellington said.

“I am very pleased. A lot of credit goes to Sam (Stewart), Emma (Stewart), Clayton (Tonkin) and their staff.

“She just seems to hang in there. She has had one good draw and she won, the last two she has drawn 11 and nine. I think she’ll go all right. I don’t think she will be a real champion, but she will win half a dozen races.”

And Mellington has spread his net more widely than the Oro bloodlines, including buying US mare Whos Sorry Now from Bruce and Val Edward.

The Western Ideal 12-year-old is bringing plenty of excitement, having had three foals reach the racetrack for the Edwards in Jack William ($96,665), Bettor Be Sorry ($23,660) and the highly touted Auckland Reactor gelding Reactor Now ($56,130).

Mellington purchased the mare while she was carrying a Hes Watching filly, who’s 18 months old and still to be broken in, and then this season he bred a Captain Treacherous colt, who’s now six months old and has many hearts aflutter, already drawing an unsuccessful six-figure bid.

“I think the Captain Treacherous one will go to the top, just by looking at him,” Mellington said. “He has got everything, a bit of character, he’s big and strong. He’s probably the best foal I’ve ever bred.”

Like many, the chase for ‘that horse’ drives him, but it’s more the love of the sport and the equine athletes that keeps him coming back.

“Everybody that’s got horses always says this is the one, but that one doesn’t always turn up,” he said.

“I love it at the trots. I very seldom bet, I just go and watch my horses and other people’s horses. I love the horses. I don’t care what horse it is, my horse or your horse, I’m just horse mad. That’s my life.”

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