Piece of history on offer as Eyrefield Lodge Stud is put up for sale

With an asking price of €4,000,000, prospective buyers of Eyrefield Lodge Stud would be expecting something pretty special.

A seven-bedroom house dating back to 1760 and 160 acres of limestone land on the Curragh ought to be attraction enough, not to mention cottages, stables and spectacular gardens replete with roses and topiary.

In terms of racing history, though, the premises lived in by owner-breeder Sir Edmund Loder for half a century is hard to put a price on.

Sir Edmund and his wife Sue are reported to be retiring from the sport, at least in a hands-on capacity, having raised a line headed by superstar sprinter Marwell.

Her daughter Marling was beaten an agonising whisker in the 1,000 Guineas of 1992 but had the Cheveley Park, Coronation Stakes and Sussex Stakes among her laurels.

Marwell also produced Group 2 winner and Irish Guineas runner-up Caerwent, who also raced in the gold and blue Loder silks, while Irish Oaks heroines Unite and Vintage Tipple were other Eyrefield graduates.

Most famous of all, though, is Pretty Polly, who was bred by Major Eustace Loder in 1901 before she developed into one of the greatest fillies of any era with victories in a host of significant races including the Guineas, Oaks and St Leger.

Just as influential as a broodmare, she is among those to be buried at the property and her blood is still in the present broodmare population.

Paddy Jordan, managing director of Jordan Town and Country Estate Agents, which is overseeing the sale, said: "It’s really the end of an era - the family have been in the place for 120 years.

"They are among the last of the owner-breeders, breeding all those good horses like Marwell and Marling, going all the way back to Pretty Polly. It’s almost an endangered species, a fabulous property."

Eyrefield is not just consigned to the history books, though. Sunday’s Group 3 Marble Hill Stakes winner Minaun was bred by Sir Edmund out of the Sir Mark Prescott-trained Bee Eater, herself another grand-daughter of Marwell.

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