Situated on 1,500 hectares of mineral-rich, undulating country in the Hunter Valley, Yarraman Park boasts a carefully managed environment with large, well-maintained paddocks. The farm’s natural limestone foundation is renowned for producing strong, sound racehorses. Located just 9km from Scone, Yarraman Park is at the heart of Australia’s thoroughbred breeding industry, with easy access to all major stallion farms.
The farm stands a select group of stallions, led by three-time Australian Champion Sire I Am Invincible (2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24). His explosive Group 1-winning son, Hellbent, was crowned Champion Third Season Sire in 2023/24, while Brave Smash – a multiple Group 1 winner – sired his first Group 1 winner in 2024 with Kimochi, out of an I Am Invincible mare.
Yarraman Park has been owned by the Mitchell family since 1968 and is managed by brothers Arthur and Harry Mitchell. Both are highly experienced horsemen, bringing a lifetime of international and local expertise to the stud, along with an extensive global network.
OUR HISTORY
Major Mitchell
Yarraman Park Stud has been home to thoroughbreds for over 100 years, dating back to the early 1900’s when the Thompson family of the historic Widden Stud raised many fine horses on the farm including the great champion Eurythmic, foaled in 1916.
Eurythmic won 30 races in all, beginning his racing career in Western Australia by winning the Karrakatta Plate, WATC Derby and Perth Cup before venturing east where he defeated the best horses of the time and claimed victory in races such as the Caulfield Cup.
Yarraman was later turned into a dairy operation, before coming into the possession of champion jockey George Moore. A new direction came onto the horizon in 1968, when a former Norfolk farmer, Major James “J.D.” Mitchell, happened by.
A former World War II British army officer, and an avid owner of flat and jumps racehorses, Major Mitchell set out in 1966 on an exploratory trip to Australia with good friend and bloodstock agent George Blackwell. The pair eventually stayed a few nights at a property owned by Blackwell’s friend, Moore.
“Dad liked it so much he told George that if he ever wanted to sell up, could he give him first refusal,” Arthur Mitchell says.
Those dominoes fell into place just two years later, with Major Mitchell, wife Bunty, and their three young sons moving onto Yarraman Park Stud in 1968.
By the mid-90s, after their mother had passed away, and with their father eyeing a move to Sydney, Arthur and Harry were back at Yarraman.
The stud had made a living, through sires J.D. Mitchell acquired from the 1970s onward, headed by European imports Straight Master, Sirocco, Picollino and Desert Style, and through Australian sires such as Pilgrim’s Way and Beaches. But Arthur and Harry felt the stud needed work to be built into a stronger operation. The going initially was reasonably tough.
A turning point came with the acquisition of top American sprinter Forest Glow in the late 1990s. While described as “an okay stallion” by Arthur, Forest Glow more importantly introduced the Mitchells to American owner Ken Jones. The relationship would lead to a huge boost in Yarraman’s profile, when Jones’ Golden Slipper winner Catbird retired to the stud.
“Catbird was a pretty good stallion,” Arthur says. “Now we started to get more commercial. We were selling better yearlings and achieving better results.”
Catbird, Australia’s leading first season sire in 2003-04, became a consistent producer of stakes winners, siring 25 through his first three seasons. He was sadly lost, in 2007, after suffering laminitis, but life-changing success for Yarraman was just ahead.
Fast forward to 2010 and a meeting in Sydney was arranged, with the help of bloodstock identities John Holloway and Andrew Reichard. A deal was struck that Yarraman would buy half of I am Invincible from owner Ray Gall for around $500,000, pending an inspection at trainer Peter Morgan’s stables, near Melbourne.
“As soon as he came out of the box we said, ‘Yep, we’re going to stand this horse’,” Arthur says. “He was a fast horse, but he was just so good looking. He was then and is now, a magnificent horse. The rest has been incredible history.
Yarraman Park has been a family-owned and run operation for nearly 60 years and is now under the charge of brothers Arthur and Harry Mitchell, who bring to the stud a lifetime of international and local experience in the industry. They are supported by an excellent team of staff, who share the Mitchells’ commitment to the professional and personal service that only a family-owned business can provide.
