高多芬成功收購 Woodlands Stud
Bob Ingham's shock announcement he has sold his thoroughbred empire brings an end to Australia's most successful family racing and breeding operation.
Ingham said he decided to sell after receiving an offer he could not refuse from the Australian arm of the global Darley Stud, owned by Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The purchase, believed to be in the region of $500 million, encompasses Ingham's two thoroughbred studs, training operations at Flemington in Melbourne and Warwick Farm in Sydney and a total of around 1,000 horses.
Peter Snowden, who took over the training of the Ingham Bloodstock horses in late 2007 after many years as foreman to John Hawkes, said he was looking forward to working with Darley Australia which is managed by Ollie Tait.
"It came as a shock but I've had three weeks to absorb it," Snowden said at the Gold Coast on Monday.
"I was called into Bob's office a few weeks ago after Randwick and was told.
"Bob's a tremendous person but this is a business decision.
"The good thing is that Ollie wants to keep everything the same.
"It's business as usual."
Ingham issued a statement Monday, saying he had not contemplated selling until approached by Darley which also has thoroughbred studs in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States and Japan.
"The sale of the bloodstock business was not something I was contemplating," Ingham said.
"Once approached by Darley, I decided it was an opportunity that I should accept.
"The sale is on a walk-in, walk-out basis. I will however be keeping our racing colours and will continue to race horses.
"Not only is it in the long-term interest of the company, it also secures the continuation of the bloodstock business and the employment of the team.
"Further it takes the business under Darley, a global breeding and racing operation, into a new and exciting phase. It's a win-win for all parties."
Ingham and his late brother Jack made a fortune in the poultry business and diverted some of that cash to building their thoroughbred operation.
Jack was the public face of the business and when he died in 2003 there was speculation Bob would get out of racing.
But in the past few years, he has made his presence felt at the yearling sales and was the biggest buyer at the 2007 Easter Sale.
Inghams Bloodstock employs 230 people who will all be guaranteed continuity of employment with Darley.
The sale is subject to approval by the Foreign Investment Review Board which is expected in the next few weeks.
Among the horses raced by the Inghams are Golden Slipper winners Sweet Embrace, Guineas and Forensics but the most famous are champions Octagonal and his son Lonhro who both stand at Woodlands Stud in the NSW Hunter Valley.
By AAP Racing
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