Steaks are high, but a trip to Gooree Park is a safe bet

BRIAN Johnston received a special invitation from a billionaire to indulge in Wagyu beef and wine, while admiring some impeccable thoroughbreds.

The view over Gooree Park's private racecourse. Picture: Supplied

IT'S not every day you're invited on to a billionaire's property, given a glass of champagne and allowed to look around. But at select occasions you get that chance at Gooree Park outside Mudgee, the passion of Filipino businessman Eduardo Cojuangco.

You might call it a hobby farm, but there's nothing amateurish about Gooree's high-grade Wagyu beef, top thoroughbreds and excellent wines. One of the farm's nicer drops is a shiraz called Don Eduardo, a name shared both with the owner and a horse that won the AJC Derby in 2002.

"Fundamentally this is a family property, not a commercial venture, so there's limited access," stud groom Vikki Cannon explains. "It's only during unique occasional events that you can see around."

Gooree Park is this year increasing the array of such events with the introduction of High Tea in the Stables, during which guests are treated to an afternoon of indulgence among the horses, pinot noir from the vineyards in hand.

Several opportunities are coming up in September to coincide with the annual Mudgee Wine Festival, and aren't to be missed by anyone who has ever had a flutter on Gooree's red and black stripes.

The stud has produced innumerable winners over the past 30 years, many trained by Gai Waterhouse, Lee Freedman and Anthony Cummings.

Vikki is likely to be your guide, and you couldn't have a more enthusiastic insider to take you around. Her job is the daily welfare of all the horses. That includes preparing them for events, and she has many behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the big races.

She's also the keeper of the all-important stud records and knows the lineage of every horse on the farm.

The view over Gooree Park's private racecourse. Picture: Supplied

All are racers or ex-racers whose names you'll certainly know if you frequent the racetrack. If you're in a small group, you might have the privilege of ducking between the railings and into the field to pat Desert War on the rump. Even in retirement, the great middle-distance runner of the mid-2000s, who won six Group One races, is impressive.

"And by the way, he's half-brother to Makybe Diva," Vikki says proudly.

On the Stud Tours, you'll also be taken past the stables, quarantine area, foaling area and nursery yards and then to the private racetrack nestled in a scenic fold of hills to watch racehorses being exercised.

The stud hosts three Bubbly Breakfasts in September, when you'll enjoy a champagne breakfast.Alternatively, there's a Father's Day Wine & Wagyu barbecue lunch adjacent to the cellar door, during which you can tuck into one of Gooree's splendid Wagyu steaks.

It's a billionaire's lifestyle we can all enjoy, for an hour or two.

The writer was a guest of Destination NSW.

Getting there

Gooree Park is 280km northwest of Sydney, just outside Mudgee, via the Great Western Highway (M4) and Castlereagh Highway. Aeropelican has daily flights Sydney-Mudgee.

Staying there

De Russie Suites, ph 02 6372 7650.

Rosby Guesthouse, ph 026373 3978.

Doing there

Gooree Park Wines has guided Stud Tours only on certain open days. The next Bubbly Breakfast events are September 14, 21 and 28, with a barbecue Wagyu lunch on Father's Day (September 1) and High Tea in the Stables on September 7 and 22. See gooree park.com, ph 02 6378 1800.

visitmudgeeregion.com.au, ph 02 6372 2461.