Rare Melbourne horse stud listing hits the market in time for spring racing season
With all eyes in the horse racing industry currently trained on Melbourne’s spring racing carnival, the vendors of Candide Equine thoroughbred horse stud have decided now is the perfect time to sell.
The 26-hectare property in Officer South in Melbourne’s south-eastern fringe will go under the hammer in October, with interest already coming in from Melbourne and investors interstate.
A 25-minute drive to Pakenham Racing Club and a 40-minute drive to Cranbourne Racecourse, the strategic location was described by selling agent Jason Hellyer of Ray White Rural as a strong selling point for buyers.
“Horse studs in this state are tightly held, they’re not like three-bedroom brick veneer homes, so when they do come onto the market they’re well contested,” he said.
“The ideal purchaser here is a thoroughbred trainer or thoroughbred owner that is going to use this facility for what it is now, but over 10 to 15 years there might be an opportunity to split it up into some sort of subdivision.”
Mr Hellyer said with the growth and rezoning of Melbourne’s south-eastern fringes, the stud might also appeal to investors hoping to hold on to it and subdivide for housing or industrial usage down the track.
“On the property’s western boundary, Mirvac recently released quite a large residential subdivision selling blocks of land from sort of 300 to 500 square metres,” he said.
“This particular property is currently zoned green-wedge and isn’t approved for residential development but the reality is that it may change over time.”
Candide Equine was established as a horse breeding and rehabilitation centre 15 years ago but since the current owners – a private firm from Melbourne – purchased it seven years ago the facilities have not been used.
The facility has had improvements including a stable complex with central AquaCiser (a swimming pool for horses), parade ring with 11 day boxes, 13 day yards and 13 spelling paddocks with a network of troughs.
It also houses office suites and a 2600-metre post-and-rail sand track that follows the circumference of the property.
In May this year the 65-hectare Rockmount thoroughbred breeding and training facility in Longwood East, Victoria sold for $3.1 million, marketed by agency Pat Rice & Hawkins.
In NSW a mare farm with stables, foal boxes and several hectares of oat crop at 115 Nanowndra Road, Scone is currently for sale for $1.85 million.
In South Australia, 1208 Long Valley Road Strathalbyn has extensive equine facilities and is on the market for between $1.35 million and $1.425 million.
The property houses a nine-stall stable complex, tack room, 1100-metre sand exercise track, a round yard, 12 paddocks with two day yards and a large hay shed.
In Beaudesert, Queensland a thoroughbred stud located just three kilometres from the town’s race track is for sale for $1.69 million.
The property boasts a house and training facilities for up to 100 horses.
