The Packer family to hold Pony & Property Sales
Various news stories have been making headlines in recent months concerning the future of Ellerston – owned by the Packer family and renowned around the world for producing top quality polo ponies. Over the last few weeks it would seem that change is really afoot in Australia with first the announcement that the Packer family were to sell 50% of Ellerston – their luxury Hunter Valley family – to Crown Resorts for $60million and now news of the ‘Ellerston Polo Pony Reduction Sale’ is spreading amongst the international polo community.
Just prior to the announcement that Crown Resorts had purchased half of the Packer family home (from Packer’s Consolidated Press Holdings Group), James Packer (the largest shareholder in Crown) stood down as chairman of Crown Resorts citing that he wanted to ‘spend more time in the United States (where his children live) and focus on the casino group’s global expansion.’ It would also appear he plans to focus his time on expanding the company in Asia, so he will remain on the board as senior executive director and work as co-chairman of Crown’s Asian joint-venture – Melco Crown Entertainment, with his aim to make the company into a ‘global luxury brand.’
With rumours of new properties being purchased in other locations around the world, and earlier in August, Packer and his former wife setting a new price record for the sale of a property in Australia, with their Vaucluse mansion in Sydney’s east reaching $60 million, it seems a change in ownership of half of Ellerston is hardly to be unexpected. The 50% sale of the Ellerston property portfolio to Crown Resorts (which will be marketed as a location for VIP high-end gamblers to visit) does not however include the entire property, which was purchased by Kerry Packer 43 years ago in 1972. Included in the sale are 1,400 hectares featuring one of the best golf courses in Australia – designed by British Open champion Greg Norman, a shooting range, go-cart track, swimming pools, cinema, horse riding facilities and luxury accommodation. It is believed however that the agricultural business at Ellerston is not included, nor are the polo pitches close to where Kerry Packer was buried in 2005.
Alongside the sale of property, in the last few days announcements have now been made that selling agents – Landmark – will be in charge of overseeing the ELLERSTON POLO PONY REDUCTION SALE, to take place at Ellerston, Scone, NSW on 10th October. Included in this sale will be 63 mares & fillies, 44 geldings, 8 stallions & colts and 23 embryo packages – and to quote the catalogue this is a polo pony sale like no other as ‘These ponies have played to the highest standard winning some of the most prestigious tournaments both in Australia, Argentina, USA, the UK and Spain. Their embryo breeding program has allowed their top mares to continue to dominate the game of polo whilst building the foundation of the Ellerston ponies that you see in this catalogue today. Never before will the scale of these famous genetics be offered again, making this sale so unique and significant.’
‘Change’ it would seem is the name of the game for polo in Australia.