Hong Kong investors buy iconic Matamata property
Ownership of strategic facilities enables Flying Class NZ to race horses in Australasia while providing opportunities in Hong Kong.
The sale of the property formerly known as Wexford Stables in Matamata has been completed, with the new owners undertaking some minor refurbishments that enabled them to open for business in March. This is according to NZ Racing Desk
“Purchased from the O’Sullivan family by Hong Kong-based consortium Flying Class New Zealand, the group will focus on developing a New Zealand operation that will operate within the Australasian market whilst also supporting its Hong Kong racing activities,” said NZ Racing Desk.
“Flying Class also recently secured Queensland-based spelling and pretraining facility Washpool Lodge as part of its expansion plans.”
The purchase of Washpool Lodge and what was Wexford Stables will enable Flying Class New Zealand to provide a base for its horses in New Zealand and in Australia.
A spokesperson for Flying Class New Zealand said, “The quality of horses being bred and sold in New Zealand is well recognised on the world stage and we intend to support local racing with the horses we have purchased. Having these strategic facilities means we can race our horses in Australasia while providing opportunities in Hong Kong for those we believe are suited to racing there.
“We expect to have around forty horses trained in Matamata for the group and other clients and we’re excited about getting under way.”
According to NZ Racing Desk, for many years the O’Sullivan family trained out of Wexford Stables, adjacent to the Matamata track, but the operation was shifted in 2014 into the complex previously used by John Sargent before he moved to Sydney.
