"Summerhill stock weigh like lead.”

As we drove down the side road that brought us to Arodstown Stud in Moynalty last week, the quality of ground either side of the avenue backed up auctioneer Stephen Barry’s statement. Lush, flat, fertile fields sat on both sides. High, well-maintained shelter belts surrounded the paddocks, as the well-conditioned livestock grazed contently.

Early impressions are valuable currency and this, so far, was impressive. As you enter the comprehensive yard area, however, the range of modern buildings complimented by the cleanliness of the facilities would bolster the opinions of this modern stud further.

Operating out of here is Tony Martin. Martin, a well-renowned trainer, has been working out of Arodstown for over 20 years – having had plenty of high-profile success in the process. He has trained winners at the Cheltenham Festival and won the Irish Grand National in 2001 with David’s Lad. He came agonisingly close to winning the Melbourne Cup in 2016 when his Heartbreak City was beaten by just a head in the world famous race.

The facilities and training centre

The most impressive feature of this holding is the equestrian facility, which includes three large American barns with 70 custom-built loose boxes. Each shed is well-maintained, clean and practical. Newly constructed in the last 10 years, the three barns are divided into units of 30, 24 and 16 boxes, which each measure a generous 12 x 12.6ft and feature back. The barns have a wide central walkway measuring a full 16ft in width, with each containing a feed room and a tack room.

There is also a hot-piped drying room, described by the auctioneers as “simple in appearance, but perfect in practice”. The facilities also include a spa to deal with the aches and pains of racecourse life, while additional sliding doors ‘mid-side’ ensure not only temperature control, but prime accessibility for machinery.

The outbuildings include a large shed for shavings, bedding and hay. There are two six-bay horse walkers, with the bays measuring 8ft across with rubber brick flooring underfoot. A double-roomed office is used for admin and includes bathroom facilities.

There are also a number of gallops on the stud farm. The first, a six-furlong straight gallop (is made from a carpet base and is very impressive).

The second is a five-furlong equitrack all-weather gallop, with a schooling hurdle and fences lane. The straight gallop rises over five furlongs. It’s a top-spec equitrack surface and is laid over porous tarmac, a hardcore roadway runs alongside the length of it. The collecting area is made of sand and fibre, while across the open grassland lies a second gallop. This is an oval-shaped circuit, with each ‘straight’ a furlong and an half in length in an equitrack surface. The schooling facilities contain lines of hurdles and fences that feature as ‘external options’ down each side, and are laid on more suitable silica sand.

The lands

As most of the land in Moynalty near Summerhill, Co Meath, the ground is top quality. Circa 88 acres of land, it is well fenced and laid out. Divided into manageable paddock sizes, the fields are easily reachable from the network of well-maintained internal roadways throughout the farm.

The main residence

The house is located in the middle of the holding, with the lands surrounding it. A nice residence, it was newly built just seven years ago. It is surrounded by post-and-railed paddocks an contains some attractive lawns.

Inside is bright and spacious living accommodation that includes a hallway, sitting room, kitchen/living area leading to a south-facing conservatory. There’s also an office and a bedroom with an en-suite bathroom on the ground floor.

Upstairs are three more bedrooms and bathroom facilities, including a jacuzzi. There is also a private water supply, a geo-thermal heating system and a Puraflo drainage system in the home.

The sale

The sale of the property is being handed in seven lots. The first lot is the straight gallop on almost 24 acres, plus the office and stable block.

Lot two contains the circular gallop on just over 42 acres with 40 stables in two blocks, a feed house, a drying room and a tack room. The third lot is the main residence on circa 0.6 acre, while the fourth is almost 16 acres of land. Lot six is the staff residence on circa 0.27 acres. The seventh and final lot is the entire.

A joint sale, it is being handled by Stephen Barry of Raymond Potterton auctioneers and Coonan’s Property in Maynooth. Raymond Potterton Auctioneers has performed particularly well this year in the auction room, with circa eight properties selling successfully under the hammer this year alone. Coonan’s is more than well known in the property game at this stage. A plethora of highly publicised stud sales last year, as well as a number of impressive sales in 2018, ensure the auctionner is well placed to see Arodstown perform as well as possible. The mix of both Potterton and Coonan shows there is certainly no lack of expertise there.

The guide is €1.45m. The holding, on the market since 2016, is being auctioned at Glenroyal Hotel in Maynooth on 5 September.