The historic Wakefield Stud, the birthplace of Melbourne Cup winner Subzero, has been purchased by the owners of another historic Scone farm, Middlebrook Valley Lodge. The farm was officially settled during the week, and the new owners are excited to see the farm return to it’s former glory days.
“We saw this opportunity as a chance to further cement our presence, and reiterate our commitment as a long-term participant in the industry. The acquisition of Wakefield is really exciting for the team, and everyone on board is looking forward to what lies ahead for the farm and the group,” said Middlebrook Sales and Bloodstock Manager Bernie Kane.
What lies ahead, is continuing the tradition of a farm with a rich history of producing high quality racehorses.
“Everybody’s favorite grey Subzero was bred at Wakefield, the mare Professionelle produced four individual stakes winners herself off the farm, namely Prisoner of Love, Sportsman, Hoystar and King of Prussia, but the breeding side of the farm actually goes back just over 100 years to the 1920’s,” Kane said.
“There are so many successful families now, that can have their development traced back to Wakefield Stud at some point. We intend to add to the story, and we want clients to be a part of that.”
It will be business as usual at the farm once the current lease expires at the end of June.
The new owners have committed to an infrastructure improvement program over the next couple of years, which is kicking off now thanks to the flexibility of the current tenants.
“We will look at replacing some infrastructure as soon as we can. Whilst it’s currently a fully functioning established farm it’s the same as any farm in the Valley and needs day-to-day maintaining-there’s always something to be done,” Kane said.
One of the main tasks that will be undertaken, is to utilize the 330 Meg water license on the farm, by rolling out irrigation to drought-proof the paddocks. Coupled with a continuous pasture improvement program, the results will be seen for many years to come.
On top of the infrastructure developments, staff developments are happening as well. One of the most respected industry names is coming on board, to oversee the progress of both Wakefield and Middlebrook on a consultancy basis.
“The owners have secured the services of Tony Scott, who as everyone knows, is one of the most experienced industry participants with a wealth of knowledge across all areas of the game. It’s a massive coup for the farms and the team, knowing that they can call on Tony’s depth of experience gained both here and overseas, at any time. His experience with nutrition and feeding systems, sales preparation, and general farm procedures, will be invaluable for everyone moving forward,” Kane added.
Most important are the clients though, as that’s the core for any farm like this.
“One thing I want to make clear, is that the farm is open for business. With the two farms in the portfolio now, it gives us the room to care for more horses as we have the added space and flexibility to use the farms together to best serve the horses. Whilst Wakefield will predominately be a dry mare farm at this stage, there are a myriad of ways it can be used. We’re open to leasing part of it out, we’re open to using it as a base for interstate dry mares during the season, we can utilize the yards to accommodate spellers, the list goes on," said Kane..
“Every industry needs either new, or continued investment from existing participants to survive. Through their initial purchase of Middlebrook in 2020, and now the purchase of Wakefield, the owners have shown that they are committed to the industry long-term, and that should give confidence to clients of both farms that the tradition of both will continue.”
Bernie Kane can be contacted on 0472 832 199 to discuss anything regarding Wakefield Stud.
