Business as usual as new owners take over Middlebrook Valley Lodge
A group of private investors with agricultural links have diversified their interests into the thoroughbred industry after purchasing Middlebrook Valley Lodge in the Hunter Valley as a going concern.
Situated on 149 hectares (368 acres), Middlebrook has a large 22-box yearling barn, an electric walker and round yard, post and rail fencing and yards, a foaling complex, two stallion boxes and yards as well as ample shedding for feed, hay and machinery.
The property also enjoys dual frontage to the Middlebrook Creek and it comes with a 46-megalite irrigation licence.
Middlebrook farm manager Verna Metcalfe will stay on under the new owners.
Operations manager for the group’s investors, Michael Grill, told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday that the partners had been investigating expanding into the industry for some time.
“One of the key things for us buying into this business was for us being able to keep the staff that they had there because Verna’s got a very good reputation in the industry,” Grill said.
“We think that she does a very good job and, essentially, we don’t want to see that change. She is happy to stay on with us and, from our perspective, it’s business as usual with the view to grow where we can.”
Middlebrook had been under the same ownership for the past 13 years but the former owner did not want his identity published when confirming the changeover yesterday.
Group 1 stars All Too Hard (Casino Prince), Jameka (Myboycharlie) and Divine Prophet (Choisir) are among those horses to have been foaled or raised on the Hunter Valley property.
Grill suggested the new owners would look at ways of growing the business through offering spelling facilities and that they would explore other opportunities, but at this stage ruled out any investment in stallions.
“The property is in very good nick anyway, so there’s not too much that needs to be done there, but it’s more looking at ways that we can expand areas of the business, possibly some spelling of horses as the broodmare season only goes for so long,” he said.
“We’ll assess what numbers we can take agistment wise and that’s our main goal.”
The new Middlebrook proprietors, whose identities have not been revealed publicly, already have other agricultural investments in the Hunter region.
“Like a lot of people, I do enjoy the thoroughbred industry and with the level of investment you see with some of the other places around, it’s quite phenomenal,” Grill said.
“In general, there’s some big plans for Scone by way of the local government and the way they want to invest in the industry there. It’s good to get in now and be part of that growth.”
Grill’s observation of the wider economic outlook, which has taken a hit this year with the Covid-19 pandemic, was positive.
“There’s risk in anything that we do, but we did keep an eye on this property for some time and part of that is having long-term staff on board like Verna who can keep the business running smoothly,” he said.
“Of course, there could be some impacts there (with the coronavirus), but I feel we could be on the backend of that hopefully and looking at the economy growing in the next few years after this downturn.”
The previous owner, who will retain his broodmares at Middlebrook, praised Metcalfe for her commitment to the business.
He said: “Verna’s done a great job over the period she’s been there.”