This is where the mega-rich of the world come to play, a farm so glamorous it was filmed for The Great Gatsby. And it's for sale.
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The Sydney Polo Club, which sits on the banks of the Hawkesbury River at Richmond, was the venue for the XI FIP World Polo Championship five years ago.
There are three polo fields, 38 brick horse stables, two undercover riding arenas, grand clubhouse, a renovated homestead and three workers' cottages, irrigation throughout and manicured landscaping featuring 14,000 established trees.
Ray White Rural agent Chris Malone is confident that no high net-worth individual could fail to be impressed by the immaculate estate.
"You really need to see it to believe it," he said.
"There's rows of hedges, indoor arenas, stables and an amazing clubhouse where you can entertain."
The allure of leather, cut grass and horseflesh aside, Mr Malone said the property would excite even the most hard-nosed of investors.
Just an hour from the city centre, the 115-hectare site comprises 14 land titles.
"Perhaps the property's greatest appeal is the significant landbank opportunity in one of the world's best cities, in a rapidly growing region of Greater Western Sydney," Mr Malone said.
It presented agricultural opportunities, too. There were turf farms nearby and the rich soils, plus its 507-megalitre water allocation, meant the estate's alluvial plains could grow lucerne or fatten cattle.
"You can do whatever you like, it's a 285-acre canvas of opportunity, really," Mr Malone said.
"The buyer might be someone who wants to have a thoroughbred operation down there.
"Godolphin have Agnes Banks, which is just on the other side of Richmond, where they house and train all of their horses close to the racetracks in Sydney."
It seems that The Sydney Polo Club is not an asset readily let go.
Vendor Peter Higgins, who made his fortune as a Mortgage Choice co-founder, first put the property on the market in 2019 for $75 million.
A personal health crisis and lingering attachment to the estate saw it withdrawn from the market again.
This time around, the price will reflect the appetite of buyers.
The Sydney Polo Club will be sold by tender, which closes on October 29, 2021.
Marian Macdonald
Writing for farmers in the Stock & Land, The Land, Queensland Country Life, Stock Journal and FarmWeekly, farming in Gippsland.
Writing for farmers in the Stock & Land, The Land, Queensland Country Life, Stock Journal and FarmWeekly, farming in Gippsland.
