Team

John Messara, AM is the founder and owner of Arrowfield Stud. He has an international reputation as a maker of stallions, among them a breed-shaping dynasty of champion sires: the great Danehill, three-time Champion Sire Redoute’s Choice and his four-time Champion Sire son Snitzel, who currently heads Arrowfield’s roster. Arrowfield is also a leading owner and yearling vendor, and has close relationships with several of the world’s leading breeders.

John began his professional life as a stock-broker, established the Arrowfield Group in 1985 and has played a key role in the Australian breeding industry’s significant growth over the past three decades as a past Chairman of Aushorse Marketing (2001-08) & Thoroughbred Breeders Australia (2007-08) and Member of the Australian Pattern Committee (2006-16). He also led Australian racing through a dynamic period of major reform as Chairman of Racing New South Wales (2011-16) & Racing Australia (2013-16), and contributed at an international level as Vice-Chairman of the Asian Racing Federation (2014-16), and author of the Review of the New Zealand Racing Industry (2018). In May 2021, John returned to a major industry post, being appointed the first independent Chairman of Racing Australia, before stepping down from that role in March 2022.

John’s outstanding work for the thoroughbred industry at state, national & international levels has been recognised with numerous awards & honours, including Member of the Order of Australia (2008), Thoroughbred Breeders NSW inaugural Heroic Award (2011), Life Membership of the Australian Turf Club (2016), the prestigious Longines & IFHA International Award of Merit (2019) and induction to the Australian Racing Hall of Fame (2021) & the Hunter & Newcastle Racing Hall of Fame (2023).

Paul brings a deep and diverse background in sport, marketing, bloodstock and racehorse training to the General Manager’s role he took up in 2014.

After completing the Stud Management course at the Irish National Stud, Paul graduated as a Bachelor of Business (Communication – Marketing & Film major) from Bond University, Queensland.

Always a keen sportsman, Paul played 1st Grade rugby for the Landsdowne Rugby Club, Ireland and captained the Bond University rugby & basketball teams.

He then worked with leading European trainers David Loder, Robert Cowell and Rupert Pritchard-Gordon; at Shadai Stallion Station, Japan, where he assisted with stallions & prepared foals for the JBBA Select Sale; and at Arrowfield where he worked with the Bloodstock & Stallion teams, selling nominations and handling stallions.

Paul managed every aspect of the projects to build both the Arrowfield Training & Yearling Sales Centres, and from 2005 to August 2023 he trained the winners of 501 races at an exceptional winning strike rate of 22%. Those winners include Alverta (Coolmore Classic G1 & 3rd, Newmarket July Cup G1) and world-class sprinter Ortensia, the only Australian-trained horse to win Group 1 races in Australia, Dubai & England.

Leah Gavranich joined Paul as a co-trainer in September 2023 and in its first season the partnership notched up 38 wins at a strike rate of 29.7%.