Ron Quinton was a leading figure among Australian jockeys in the 1970s and 1980s. Quinton was apprenticed to trainer Theo Green, one of Australia's great masters of young jockeys. The diminutive apprentice was having only his third race ride, and fittingly the horse in question was trained by his revered boss Theo Green, named Quelimane. It was an unimportant win on a mediocre horse, but for the pony club champion from Mendooran it was the beginning of one of Australian racing’s most enduring careers. Green's influence and his own natural talent saw Ron Quinton become Sydney's leading apprentice in 1967. Ron won his first Slipper on Marscay and added another three over the following four years - Sir Dapper, Rory’s Jester and Marauding.

While skilfully avoiding trouble in thousands of races, the master horseman quietly posted 2168 wins at the end of a 28 year career in the saddle, including 190 stakes wins and 46 at Gr 1 level. He won the Sydney apprentices premiership in 1966/1967 and was only twenty two years old when he notched his first jockey’s title in 1969/1970. Over the following six seasons Ron was highly competitive but had to contend with fierce opposition from Des Lake who won a premiership, Kevin Langby who won four on the trot and Malcolm Johnston who landed his first title in 1975/1976. Ron got his second the following year, but had no answer to Johnston’s 115 winners in 1977/1978. Then came the dominant Quinton era, when the champion jockey reeled off six consecutive premierships.

Quinton's first big race win came on Analie in the AJC Oaks, a race he won in two later years. He won Doncasters on Analie and Emancipation, an Epsom on Dalmacia, the W.S. Cox Plate on Kingston Town, and the Victoria Derby on Ravenaux. He shares the record of four wins in the Golden Slipper Stakes with Shane Dye. In 1988-90 he rode in Ireland for John Oxx, for whom he won the Group One Irish St Leger.

Immediately on retirement Quinton returned to the racetrack in a different capacity, and now ranks among Sydney's leading trainers. Ron boasts a creditable record. With relatively small teams to draw on, he’s landed six Group One winners, only one of them of the male gender. Jim Cassidy helped Quinton to Group One status when he guided the stallion Easy Rocking to victory in the 2000 Salinger Stakes. Two years later Flemington was again the venue when Bulla Borghese and Chris Munce gave the Sydney horseman his second taste of Group 1 glory. Safely secured in the record books is his stunning four timer in the prestigious Coolmore Classic with Ofcourseican (2012), Peeping (2016), Daysee Doom (2018) and Dixie Blossoms (2019).

Quinton has followed in the footsteps of his legendary tutor Theo Green by developing the talents of a lengthy list of talented jockeys. Mark Newnham, Hugh Bowman, Sam Clipperton, Mitch Newman, Mitchell Bell, Scott Pollard, Nozi Tomizawa, Bobby El-Issa, Brad Pengelly, Travis Wolfgram and Taylor Marshall have all benefited from the wise counsel offered by the veteran horseman. Ron’s contribution to the racing industry on and off the track has earned him two notable accolades. In 2006 he was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall Of Fame. Eight years later he was the recipient of the Order Of Australia Medal in recognition of his services to racing.

Ron Quinton rode some of the finest thoroughbreds to victory in the 1970's, winning four Golden Slippers