Retired racecaller John Tapp sells Ebenezer equestrian property

The doyen of Australian race-callers, John Tapp and wife Ann have sold their Ebenezer home within a week of its listing.

The 10 hectare estate was used for a harness racing facility which was his hobby turned second career.

Complete with an all weather training track, stable complex, spelling paddocks and day yards, the facility was home to the likes of his group one winner, Chariot King.

The sand stock brick home has five bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an entertaining deck and swimming pool which are set amongst manicured gardens and sandstone boulders.

There is also a self contained granny flat on the Hawkesbury district equestrian estate some 70 kilometres north-west of the Sydney CBD.

Offers over $2 million were being sought by Starr Partners Windsor agent Adam Buchert who found the buyer mid-week.  

Tapp was one of Australia's most beloved race callers. It was estimated over his 33 year career that he called over 50,000 individual races.

As an 11 year old he developed a fascination with listening to famous race caller of the day Ken Howard on the wireless radio.

John began painting Paddle Pop icecream sticks the same colours as the jockeys' silks.

He learnt his craft by tossing the sticks into the stormwater drain that ran behind his childhood home and then called the ensuing race as the sticks floated off.

Tapp retired from race calling in 1998 but maintained an involvement through Sky Channel. 

Tapp nominated Kingston Town, Octagonal and Super Impose amongst the best he had seen during his long broadcast career. 

He was introduced to trotting through a celebrity challenge, then bought a property at Luddenham where he bred his first horse, a little mare he called Red Mittens.

His other horses included Alias Kent, Orbital, Lord Patterson, Blue Baffin, Lochlee Eaglehawk and Supergas, all cheap horses.

This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.