Mr Alati is well known in racing circles having enjoyed much success over the years as the owner of numerous winners including stakes-winning fillies Timbourina and Charmview, so his decision to purchase a farm is a natural progression.
"I've acquired quite a number of mares and the agistment bills for keeping them start to add up, so then you have two options," Mark Alati explained.
"You can either cut back and reduce your numbers or go in boots and all and buy a farm, so I went for the boots and all approach!"Mr Alati has been on the lookout for a suitable property for the last four or five years, but it wasn't until he saw Kulani Park that he was swayed into taking the plunge.
"I saw so many places, and some of them were very good, but often they were pretty, but not practical and I really just wanted a farm where I could raise great athletes."
Situated at Willow Tree on the highly fertile Liverpool Plains, Kulani Park was a specialist thoroughbred farm that had been established from scratch by Rhys and Chloe Smith and their family in 2008.
"Initially I thought it was too big. What do I want with an 800 acre farm? But then I got to thinking and it just ticked every box, so I decided to run with it and operate it as a commercial broodmare and spelling venture," Alati said.
"The Smith's did an outstanding job with it. I don't have the vision to do what they've done in creating this farm from a blank canvas, although we've still made some improvements since we took over and as time goes on there is more land here to develop as well."
Set in an outstanding location, Marquee Stud as it is now known, is within easy reach of the major Hunter Valley thoroughbred studs, situated just 12 km from the New England Highway via sealed roads, and an easy 66 km to Scone. There is currently 135ha of improved pasture with high quality state of the art fencing and first rate facilities including a brand new horse walker and huge spacious boxes that are twice the size of a normal stable.
"Safety for the horses has been paramount in every decision that was made by the Smith's and no expense was spared," Alati said.
"The land itself is undulating and based on a red basalt soil, so even when you get all the rain that we've had this year, the horses are never standing in water as it drains so well.
"We grow our own lucerne here as well, so in many ways we are self-sufficient."
The aim is to continue to develop this outstanding property into a top class boutique farm offering the full range of services including agistment, walking out mares, foaling down and sales preparation under the expert care of Garry and Denise Isaac, who have over 15 years experience in the bloodstock industry.
"It's too big to really be called boutique. I like to think of it as a big farm being run with a small farm mentality," Alati revealed.
"We're looking to attract new clients and would like to run around 50 to 60 mares on the farm that are of a standard complimentary to my own."
Having had his own mares agisted for so long at other people's farms, Mr Alati is well used to looking at this business from the other side of the fence.
"I love my horses and I used to want to go the studs and spend time with my mares and foals and to do that you need to feel comfortable with the people taking care of them," Alati said.
"In taking on new outside mares for this farm, I'm just as interested in the people that own them as the horses. We're looking to establish a farm that can take care of your horses from breeding, through foaling down and on to sales preparation, then through to spelling when they are racing and even retirement at the end."Marquee Stud will be a one stop shop for horses from conception all the way through life. I'd like to think we can build something really special here that will be a legacy I can pass on to my children and grand-children."
Marquee Stud made its sales debut at the 2012 Inglis Classic Sale earlier this year and sold six yearlings at an average $47,500 to be the sixth leading vendor by average with results well above the overall sale average of $30,200.
Top seller was a colt by Snitzel from Zest that made $80,000 to the bid of Darby Bloodstock.
"Classic is a type sale and we were very happy with our results there as it's a great point to start off and get your feet wet," said Alati.
"We'll have about six youngsters for Magic Millions next year and then four or five for Inglis Easter, so we'll have plenty to look forward to next year."
Contact details for Marquee Stud are as follows: website www.marqueestud.com.au E: info@marqueestud.com.au - Garry Isaac – Mobile 0429 480 755 and Denise Isaac – Mobile 0412 399 982
