THE famous Ballymacoll Stud in Dunboyne, Co Meath is very likely to be sold or closed down before the end of this year.

Owned by the Weinstock family since 1960, the 300-acre stud and its valuable broodmare band have been quietly on the market for a year. Unless a buyer comes forward in the next month the property will be put up for auction and the stud’s 50 horses entered for a dispersal sale.

Manager Peter Reynolds told The Irish Field yesterday: “I’ve been trying to sell the stud and horses as one lot, and there is still a little bit of time for that to happen. If we don’t receive an acceptable offer for the farm by mid-February then we will have to consider public auction. We have about 50 horses to sell – some of them as yet unborn – and are likely to go the dispersal sale route with them.”

He added: “By the end of the year we will most likely be closed down. We just need to get things moving along now on behalf of the owners.”

Ballymacoll will have over 20 horses in training with Sir Michael Stoute this year. They are headed by Abingdon, a dual listed-winning four-year-old by Street Cry. The farm’s best-known broodmare is the Breeders’ Cup winner Islington, now 18 years of age. “She has 10 foals, all fillies, and is due to foal to Oasis Dream this spring. She will be going to Kingman.”

Islington’s daughter Angel Vision will visit Invincible Spirit and Group 2 winner Eleanora Duse will be covered by Frankel after she produces a Gleneagles foal this year. Group 3 winner Liber Nauticus goes to Harzand and Moruadh (by Fastnet Rock out of Olympienne) will be covered by The Gurkha. Abingdon’s dam Justlookdontouch visits Sea The Stars.

One of the two mares visiting Dark Angel is Canonbury, another winning daughter of Islington.

The Ballymacoll Stud roll of honour includes many classic winners such as Troy, Sun Princess, Saddlers’ Hall, Spectrum, Pilsudski, Golan, North Light and, more recently, Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente.

The stud’s website contains some excellent drone footage of the property and the video has been viewed over 1,000 times on YouTube.