Middlebrook owner snaps up historic Wakefield Stud
Sydney businessman Ben Li has added the historic Wakefield Stud at Scone to his thoroughbred property portfolio.
Already the owner of Hunter Valley stud Middlebrook Valley Lodge, having purchased the farm and business in 2020, Li has now acquired Wakefield Stud with the sale officially settling on the 99-hectare farm last Tuesday.
The lease on Wakefield Stud, currently held by Newgate Farm, is set to expire on June 30.
To coincide with the ramping up of Li’s investment in the thoroughbred industry, he has also appointed Tony Scott, a long-time respected industry figure, as a consultant to both properties.
He will provide advice on horse nutrition, sales preparation and the implementation of procedures and systems to assist in helping Middlebrook and Wakefield clients achieve the best possible results with their horses.
“Wakefield is a fully functional breeding establishment and the plan is for it to continue in that way,” Middlebrook Valley Lodge sales and bloodstock manager Bernie Kane told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“We will utilise part of the farm for dry mares and we’re more than happy to look at part-leasing the farm as well.
“We’ll look at all options to get it back running to its full potential. Nothing is off the table. It’s open for business for new clients and would love for them to be involved in the farm with us.
“We want to get it back to the days when it was renowned for its continued success of breeding high-quality horses.”
On the Wakefield Stud honour roll are the likes of Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) hero Subzero (Kala Dancer), and blue hen mare Professionelle (Centaine) who produced Prisoner Of Love (Canny Lad), Sportsman (Supremo), Hoystar (Danzero) and King Of Prussia (Anabaa) on the farm.
In a bid to return Wakefield to its glory days, the intention is for a large capital investment to be made in improving the infrastructure, such as fencing and irrigation, at the stud which is located near Yarraman Park Stud.
Wakefield has an eight-bedroom, six-bathroom homestead, which dates back to the 1920s, an inground pool and tennis court as well as 55 paddocks, a stallion barn and a 330-megalitre irrigation licence.
It also has a three-bedroom manager’s cottage, four-bedroom gatehouse and a three-bedroom grooms cottage and a free-standing stud office located near the entrance of Wakefield Stud.
After “finding his feet” over the past three years as the owner of the 150-hectare Middlebrook Valley Lodge, Li is also likely to purchase a few weanlings and mares at this year’s breeding stock sales.
“He thinks it’s a good time to invest,” Kane said of his boss Li.
“He knows things are tough and they are going to be tough for the next couple of years … but Ben knows that to be in the industry and be successful at it, he’s got to have his own bloodstock to trade and do all those sorts of things.”
Wakefield Stud was home to the original Redbank Village in the early 1800s where a hospital was built in 1834.