The plaque commemorates 162 yeas since the first horse race at Orari. Payne also emphasised the importance of the Orari and Waimate runs to horse racing in the area, with horses first brought to the area for agriculture. Payne pointed out that the racing clubs in the area predated the formation of the South Canterbury Rugby Union by 19 years. Payne has a personal connection to racing in the area, as his father was a trustee of the horse racing club for 25 years, and his grandfather ran horses in the area before him, winning the 1947 Timaru Cup, an achievement that is itself noted on a plaque at the Phar Lap Racecourse.