Anita Frawley is selling the racehorse facility she and her late husband, football player, coach and commentator Danny Frawley, bought in Miners Rest.
The late Essendon legend Danny Frawley’s wife, Anita Frawley, has listed a racehorse training property near Ballarat with $1.39m price hopes.
Named Sylvan Lodge, the 6.96ha site at Lot 4/203 Sharpes Rd, Miners Rest, features an 800m-long sand training track, stables and plenty of other equestrian infrastructure.
About seven years ago, Ms Frawley and her husband purchased the purpose-built facility from her mother Lois and father, thoroughbred trainer, owner and breeder Barry James.
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Although Danny is best known for his football career which included 240 games for the Saints, captaining the team for nine seasons, coaching and sports commentating, he also served on the Harness Racing Victoria board prior to his death in 2019.
Danny, a well-known mental health advocate, was posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) a degenerative brain disease linked to head trauma from his years playing football.
Following his passing, the Frawley family donated Danny’s brain to the Australian Sports Brain Bank to help advance research into sports-related brain injuries in an effort to assist other people experiencing such conditions, as well as for their families.
Ex-footballers Tony Lockett and Nicky Winmar joined Chelsea and Anita Frawley to hold Danny Frawley’s number two jumper at a St Kilda match, in 2023. Chelsea is Danny and Anita’s daughter. Picture: Michael Klein.
The 800m-long racetrack at the Miners Rest property.
Danny Frawley played 240 games with St Kilda from 1984 to 1995, coached Richmond from 2000 to 2004 and served as the AFL Coaches Association chief executive from 2008 to 2014. Picture: Valeriu Campan.
As well, Ms Frawley herself has become a spokesperson for improved safety measures in sport and better understanding of brain injuries sustained in sport including CTE and concussion.
Ms Frawley said some of her cherished memories of Sylvan Lodge included planting Manchurian pear trees and silver birches along the racing track with Danny.
“There’s also the view at the back, you can see Mt Rowan, and at the track you can see Miners Rest,” she said.
They also used the property, about 1km from the Ballarat Turf Club’s back entrance, for horse agistment and rehabilitation.
There’s plenty of cute neigh-bours.
Offices for staff, including a bathroom and laundry, are among the property’s features.
An eight-horse GG Engineering walker, sand roll area, tie-up bays and a dedicated horse wash bay feature along with eight undercover horse boxes, outdoor yards with shelters and paddocks with shelter sheds.
“Near the stable, it’s set up so you can drive a float up and the horses are kept contained,” Ms Frawley said.
“You can unload and be feeling pretty safe if the horse escapes or something.”
The facility is close to the Ballarat Racecourse and Western Highway.
A deck takes in the surrounding green views.
A large machinery shed, storage facilities and staff offices are among the other highlights.
“The good thing is you’re away from the track as well, so the horses feel like they’re in a really relaxed environment,” Ms Frawley added.
Victorian trainers Archie Alexander and Matt Cumani were among those to note how relaxed horses seemed to feel at Sylvan Lodge, she added.
Jellis Craig Ballarat’s Phil Hayward and Toby Tanis are managing Sylvan Lodge’s sale campaign.
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