Legendary horse trainer David Hayes buys in Coogee

Champion horse trainer David Hayes and wife Prue have bought a Sydney bolthole — a Coogee garden apartment.

The Toorak-based couple, who were Adelaide born, have just spent $2.3 million on the three bedroom offering.

It is just a couple of hundred metres from the beach, and not far from his satellite stable at ­Randwick.

Set in the boutique complex of eight, the 350sq m apartment has an open plan lounge and dining area that lead to a large terrace and lawn.

Purplebricks agent Dean ­Emerson initially sought $2.35 million at its unsuccessful June auction.

The unit, built in 2013, had previously been a $1350 a week rental. 

Hayes is the son of legendary Australia Racing Hall of Fame trainer, the late Colin Hayes.

From his Flemington stables, David Hayes, who became the youngest member in the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2008, has secured $9 million in prize money in the 2017-18 racing season. He bagged $19 million the previous year.

His reputation was further ­enhanced last weekend after the triumph of his long-shot Boom Time in the Caulfield Cup.

What a life!
It was his third Caulfield Cup, this one trained with son Ben and nephew Tom Dabernig, who became the third generation of the Hayes family to lift the cup.

David and his father Colin won the race with How Now in 1976. The family is now prepping Boom Time for the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday.

Speaking to Fox Sports, rival trainer Gai Waterhouse said “crazier things have happened” when referring to Boom Time’s chances on Tuesday. Hayes is also taking stablemate Ventura Storm to the race that stops the nation.

He has trained nearly 100 Group One winners, including winners in the Melbourne Cup, Cox Plate and Golden Slipper.

Hayes isn’t the only horse racing enthusiast buying.

Owner and breeder Peter Horwitz has recently traded up in Mosman, spending $8.2 million on a four ­bedroom Vincent Squillace-designed home.

It was the home of former Netscape Australasia boss Clive Mayhew-Begg and his wife Eriko Kinoshita.

Horwitz is still to sell his Balmoral Slopes home which has $7.5 million to $8 million hopes through McGrath.

Earlier this year Godolophin head trainer James Cummings, who replaced John O’Shea in May, bought a Malabar home with wife Monica Barrera-­Cummings.

They paid $3.7 million.

This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.