One of Geelong’s grandest historic homes, St Albans Stud, at 6-30 Homestead Drive, St Albans Park, is on the market for $6m to $6.6m.
Melbourne Cup connections go way back in Geelong, but there are still ways for people to enjoy the romance of Australia’s greatest race themselves.
Some of the biggest names in the thoroughbred racing are based in the region, on farming properties such as Rosemont Stud at Gnarwarre, and trainer Danny O’Brien’s base near Barwon Heads both linked to recent successes on the first Tuesday of November.
But one of the most retold Melbourne Cup stories adds to the romance of a historic Geelong home on the market today.
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St Albans Stud was built for prominent trainer James Wilson in 1873 and has a direct link to 10 Melbourne Cup winners.
The original farm has been sliced up for suburban houses in St Albans Park, but the homestead and stables complex where trainer Harry Telford hid Phar Lap from gangs out to nobble him before taking out the 1930 Melbourne Cup is today owned by Geelong businessman Dean Montgomery.
Architects have looked at how the original stables at St Albans Stud could be converted for a different use.
Whitford Newtown agent Peter Fort, who is working to find a new owner for the 3.4ha property in Geelong’s east, said the links to the Cup add to the romance surrounding the home and helped draw potential buyers from far and wide to inspect the property.
“We’ve had quite a few inspections for a home of this calibre,” Mr Fort said.
“Most of the inquiries come from out of the area. We’ve had people from interstate travel down to see it, people from the Adelaide or Sydney, that have come down.”
Potential buyers of the 8-bedroom mansion will not only become it’s new owners, but custodians.
The racing landmark has had interest from across the country.
“It’s one of those properties where there’s a lot to take in,” he said.
“We’re now quoting $6m to $6.6m. We see it still shows value at that level just due to the land size alone. It is unique, and being unique requires a unique buyer, so it’s just time.”
Mr Fort said a couple of people have considered using the 30-room mansion for boutique accommodation, while others see the potential in reactivating a further subdivision.
Architects have also looked at how the historic stables could be converted to another use, he said.
While horses were previously agisted at St Albans, it’s lack of paddocks precludes most buyers in the market for a horse property.
A three-bedroom home and separate stables is central to a lifestyle property set up for horses at 96 Murphys Run, Winchelsea.
A three-bedroom home is central to a lifestyle property set up for horses at 96 Murphys Run, Winchelsea.
But it’s not like there’s a dearth of good properties for people who own horses, with the region’s proximity to Melbourne, good rainfall and water access and sandy loam soils ideal for equine pursuits, said Charles Stewart Geelong rural agent Andrew Rice.
Mr Rice said mums and dads were the biggest buyers of horse-related properties in the region, whether it be for equestrian pursuits or not.
A 40ha lifestyle property at Murphys Run, Winchelsea and Mooraeloc Park, a 37.23ha holding complete with a 900m running track at Russell Rd, Bannockburn are among the properties on the market now.
Mr Rice said he previously sold the Winchelsea property the present owners as a bare paddock. It’s now an impressive contemporary home with five horse paddocks with stallion rail fencing, shelters, an Olympic size arena and extensive shedding and stables.
166 Russell Rd, Bannockburn, is selling via expressions of interest.
The property has a full suite of equine facilities including a 900m track.
“That is a good farm. If you went to rebuild it now, you wouldn’t be getting much change out of the $2.925m to $3.2m they’re asking right now.
“Everything is virtually no more than five years old and it’s a good mix because it’s it does cater for your horse type of person but if you want to cut hay or run some cattle we can also do that.”
Mr Rice said the Russell Rd property is established for a horse owner with 15 paddocks, an arena, 900m track and Duncan equine fencing surrounding the five-bedroom family home complete with a pool and pavilion.
“It’s perfectly done. There’s not a cracker to be spent on that property and it’s also got the 900-metre track, so it’s very much in that horse category.”
A South Australian buyer has secured the 10ha lifestyle property at 522-550 Grubb Rd, Wallington.
The luxury Larkin & Drought four-bedroom, four-bathroom residence is designed to fit in with the rural landscape on the Bellarine Peninsula.
RT Edgar Bellarine’s Felix Hakins revealed South Australian buyer had emerged to secure a 10ha lifestyle property at 522-550 Grubb Rd, Wallington, where the equine facilities were developed by a keen showjumper and dressage rider.
The property, which features a bespoke four-bedroom home from local builder Larkin & Drought, just sold in a confidential deal the Advertiser understands is below the initial $4.8m to $5.28m price expectations.
A full sized showjumping area, 22 paddocks and four 6m x 6m stables are among first-class equestrian facilities on the property.
The vendor designed the four-bedroom, four-bathroom house with help from a draftsman and wanted it to look like a shearing shed so it didn’t stand out in the area’s rural landscape.
“It’s a great result and truly a lovely set up there for the horse enthusiast and it has been purchased by a horse enthusiast from South Australia.”
Mr Hakins said while the owners were looking at using the residence as a holiday home, the property would be well used as an agistment facility.
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