Malvern East: Merricks Station owners set $11m+ suburb record

17 Manning Rd, Malvern East - for herald sun real estate — Horse breeder and industrial property heavyweight Ben Cooper has sold his Malvern East home for north of $11m.

The couple behind the Merricks Station thoroughbred farm have sold their Malvern East home in a more than $11m result that is believed to be a new record for the suburb.

Ben Cooper, an industrial real estate heavyweight who is managing director at Cameron, is also the owner of Merricks Station — a Mornington Peninsula facility linked to mounts including Group One Moira Stakes winner Viddora, and that has hosted racing legend Gai Waterhouse.

The sale came as Melbourne’s spring racing carnival moves into its busiest weeks with the Caulfield Cup this weekend, and just 18 days before Melbourne Cup week’s racing events at Flemmington kick off with Derby Day on November 1.

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Mr Cooper and wife Elizabeth, whose name is on title documents for the Malvern East home, are understood to have sold the property in a private auction that surpassed $11m this week.

The home had been listed for $9m-$9.9m, hinting at a surprise extra windfall north of $1m for the pair.

Kay & Burton’s Scott Patterson handled the sale and confirmed that he believed it had set a record for the area’s highly prized Gascoigne Estate, but would not discuss an exact figure or the home’s ownership.

Mr Patterson said the home had been slated for an expressions of interest sale ending in a few weeks’ time, but a private auction was triggered by early interest in the home — and that he was now working with at least five underbidders.