Melbourne Cup trainers punted from Macedon Lodge – Symons and Laxon on hunt for alternative stables

Melbourne Cup-winning trainers John Symons and Sheila Laxon will immediately depart Macedon Lodge, the private training facility which has been pivotal to the pair’s biggest successes.

Connections of horses in work at Macedon Lodge were on Wednesday morning being informed about the sudden development, with the training complex’s owners Bruce and Michael Dixon confirming the split to The Straight.

Sara Ryan, who was last month appointed by the Dixons as Macedon Racing’s private trainer, will be the sole stable operating from the complex, located west of Melbourne.

“All the owners are being contacted today and the majority have already come back and said they’re more than happy and would love Sara to have the opportunity to train the existing horses,” Michael Dixon said. 

“Obviously, all the two-year-olds are there anyway, so we’re just working through that process at the moment.”

Laxon and Symons, who used Macedon Lodge to prepare 2024 Melbourne Cup winner Knight’s Choice, are investigating alternative options from which to train in Victoria.

Symons described the outcome as “disappointing”.

“They wanted to go with a younger trainer and they’re quite entitled to do all that, but it didn’t suit us to play second fiddle to (another) trainer at this stage,” Symons told The Straight.

“We’ve been having a look (at other training complexes). We’ve got a few irons in the fire but I don’t want to sort of let that out until we decide what we want to do.”

When Ryan was announced on August 17 as the private trainer for Macedon Racing, the ownership vehicle for the Dixons’ Macedon Lodge, the Dixons said Symons and Laxon will remain co-tenants at the facility.

Ryan will continue to have a NSW operation based at Wyong in conjunction with her Macedon Lodge stable.

Dixon would not elaborate on the reasons for the decision.

“Without going into any details, that’s the decision that was made and it’s a lot cleaner and a lot easier just to have the one full-time head trainer here and give them the run of the show,” Dixon said.

“That’s the decision that’s been made and it’s been accepted by John and Sheila and we wish them well for whatever they choose to do next.”

Knight’s Choice, whose 2025 Melbourne Cup bid was curtailed by a bout of strangles at Macedon Lodge, is on track for another tilt at Australia’s best-known race.

He ran first-up in the Healtherlie Handicap at Caulfield on Saturday, finishing 12th behind Kingswood.

“We think he’s in really good order and he trailed super there at Caulfield and unfortunately the track was just choppy on Saturday and he just won’t go yard when it’s like that,” Symons said.

“Not that it was a poor track or a really wet track, but a bunny rabbit only has to be on it and he’s no good.”

Laxon also based herself at Macedon Lodge in 2001, with the facility said to be a key factor in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup wins of her mare Ethereal.

The Dixons bought Macedon Lodge from prolific owner Lloyd Williams in 2022 with Liam Howley an early tenant before he relocated his stable to Kyneton.

Chris Waller and Andrew Forsman also had horses in training at Macedon Lodge for a period under the Dixon-run model.

Ryan said last month that she was excited about the opportunity to expand her stable.

“The chance to train at Macedon Lodge was something I just couldn’t pass up. It gives me an incredible opportunity to grow the stable and continue developing horses at the highest level,” she said.  

“I’m excited to continue to build my young stable with the support of Macedon Lodge, my existing NSW owners and new clients in Victoria.”