Australia’s best known and most successful horse racing identity, Lloyd Williams, has put his state-of-the-art racehorse training, Macedon Lodge – the training ground for four Melbourne Cup winners – on the market.
The 300 acre facility, which has been run by Mr Williams and his son Nick since 2005, was also the training base for other champions including Ethereal, trained by Sheila Laxon, to win the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups in 2001, and champion sprinter and sire of Black Caviar, Bel Esprit.
Mr Williams estimated he had spent more than $30 million on the property since he and his son purchased it in 2005.
“Macedon Lodge has been an extremely successful venture into which we have put countless hours and many millions of dollars,” Mr Williams said.
“Given the complex has produced in excess of 20 Group 1 winners including the winners of Australia’s greatest races, the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, and Sydney Cup, and been home to champion horses such as Green Moon, Almandin, Fawkner, Zipping, and Efficient, you would have to say that it has been time and money well spent.
“Over the last 14 years I have lived at Macedon Lodge and supervised everything but more recently I have found it impossible to devote the time and energy required.”
Nick Williams said the family’s horse racing operations would continue, but with reduced numbers.
CBRE Director Investments Mark Wizel, who is managing the sale campaign with Managing Director, Magic Millions Sales Pty Ltd, Barry Bowditch on behalf of Hudson Conway, said the highly specialised property offered the absolute best in class facility available anywhere in Australia and arguably in the Asia Pacific region.
“This is the quintessential horse training facility located on extremely fertile soil and in environmental conditions which are ideal for thoroughbred racing horses,” Mr Wizel said.
“It is a property which has been associated with the most successful horses, trainers and owners in the Australian horse racing industry over the last 30 years.
“As such we expect it will attract the attention of the local, national and international racing worlds as a ready-to-go operation with nothing to spend.”
The purpose-built facility, which has regularly housed up to 100 horses, has more than 15 kilometres of tracks, a 75-metre horse pool, 75 boxes, 25 grass day yards, 20 spelling paddocks, a water-walker, and a specialised lighting facility for convalescing horses.
The property also has on-site accommodation for over 15 staff, office facilities, entertainment areas, and a staff café.
Mr Wizel said there was no doubt that Macedon Lodge was also very well placed to provide purchasers with the potential to operate a number of alternative businesses including convention centres, HR training facilities, and health/wellbeing ventures.
“The property is located in a beautiful environment which has long attracted tourists from Melbourne, regional Victoria, and interstate to Mount Macedon,” Mr Wizel added.
“It is also handy to both the Melbourne CBD and Melbourne Airport (30mins), as well as the iconic Hanging Rock, is connected to Melbourne via V/Line train services and is located right on the Calder Freeway.”
Macedon Lodge will be offered via an international Expressions of Interest campaign which will launch at the Magic Millions Yearling Sales on January 8 and close in early March.
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CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBRE), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2018 revenue). The company has more than 90,000 employees (excluding affiliates) and serves real estate investors and occupiers through more than 480 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide. CBRE offers a broad range of integrated services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services and development services. Please visit our website at www.cbre.com.
