🔒 🔒 ‘We can really build Macedon around her’ – Sara Ryan expands to head up Dixons’ Victorian racing business 

Sara Ryan will spearhead businessman Bruce Dixon’s Victorian racing operation, with the young horsewoman appointed as Macedon Lodge’s new trainer.

Dixon bought Macedon Lodge for a reported $20 million from leviathan owner Lloyd Williams, with the hospitality entrepreneur investing heavily in improving and expanding the equine infrastructure at the renowned thoroughbred training facility.

Developed by Kurt Stern in the late 1990s, Macedon Lodge became the training ground of Melbourne Cup winners under the guidance of Lloyd Williams until he sold it to Dixon in 2022. 

Macedon Racing managing director Michael Dixon was chuffed to have received Ryan’s agreement to expand her training footprint.

“Sara and I have had a fair bit to do with each other over the last six to 12 months and we have spoken about the possibility of coming over to Macedon Racing and Macedon Lodge and heading that up for us,” Dixon told The Straight. 

“We’ve got to a spot now where we’re both really, really happy and excited by the future.

“She’s a great person, but also a very astute trainer … who can set up the future for Macedon Racing and Macedon Lodge for many years to come.”

Previously acting as Domeland’s private trainer until the end of the 2024/25 racing season, Ryan has since established her base on-course at Wyong on the NSW Central Coast.

Her biggest success came when Attractable won the 2023 Big Dance at Randwick on Melbourne Cup day.

Ryan, 31, will maintain that base with Group 1-winning trainer Steve Farley acting as her assistant trainer alongside her husband, accomplished showjumper Will Mathew.

“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,” Ryan 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.”  

Nacim Dilmi is Domeland’s current private trainer based at Kulnura on the NSW Central Coast.

Ryan will initially have up to 20 horses in work at Macedon Lodge. That number will climb thanks to the two-year-olds purchased by Dixon’s Macedon Racing.

“We’ve got 25 two-year-olds at the moment coming through … and we’re also looking at some internationals to bring through as well,” Dixon said. 

“We’re not trying to replicate (Lloyd Williams’ success), but we’re certainly taking a leaf out of Lloyd’s book and getting the right owners through as well, which is so important. 

“We’ve got a great little ownership base now as well … and we’re not going to put a number on it, but we’ll certainly expand in the right way in the next 12 to 24 months.”

John Symons and Sheila Laxon, who prepared 2024 Melbourne Cup winner Knight’s Choice from Macedon Lodge, will remain tenants of the complex.

Laxon also trained Ethereal from Macedon Lodge in 2001 when the mare went on to win the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup that year.

Williams also won the Melbourne Cup with Efficient (2007), Green Moon (2012) and Almandin (2016), with all three trained from Macedon Lodge, which Dixon placed back on the market in 2024.

“We’re not trying to replicate (Lloyd Williams’ success), but we’re certainly taking a leaf out of Lloyd’s book and getting the right owners through as well, which is so important” – Michael Dixon

With a reported asking price of $30 million, no deal was forthcoming and that situation led to the establishment of the racing business rather than them only being the landlord to tenant trainers.

Liam Howley was based at Macedon Lodge before relocating his stable to Kyneton while Chris Waller and Andrew Forsman briefly occupied stables at the facility.

Michael Dixon revealed that they had worked hard on establishing relationships with prominent breeders, including Yulong and Longwood Thoroughbred Farm’s Michael Christian, to help grow the Macedon Racing brand.

“We’ve bought quite a few (yearlings from) the good breeders and the good studs over the past six months and we are looking to expand that again next year,” he said.

“Now that we’ve got Sara locked away, we can really build Macedon around her.”

Dixon admitted it had been a learning curve taking over Macedon Lodge and turning it from a privately run enterprise to a business that is open to public owners.

Since taking over Macedon Lodge, they have built 60 additional stables, installed two horse treadmills and two additional horse walkers.

“A lot of capital and infrastructure has gone in there and there’s been a lot of planning around it all,” Dixon said.

“That is all setting it up because those new boxes are specifically built for the babies. The yearlings and the two-year-olds coming through are on a different part of Macedon Lodge where they can get access straight onto the hill tracks and the flat tracks there. 

“We do have a DA approved for another 60 boxes, but we’re just holding off on that. There’s no need for them at the moment, but all going well in the next sort of two or three years, we’ll implement those and that’ll give us a capacity for 200 (horses).”