This Sydney hotel is so obsessed with horses, you can even watch the races from bed

Established in 2018, The William Inglis Hotel is Australia's first equine-themed hotel - and only one of a handful worldwide to be situated smack bang on a racecourse. When famous bloodstock auctioneering company William Inglis & Son moved its business from Randwick to Warwick Farm, a boutique five-star hotel was included in the development. A shrine to all things horsey, it's an acquired taste but with its trackside position and racing royalty background, there's little choice but to step off the mounting block and enjoy the ride.

This rare breed of hotel, managed by Accor as part of its MGallery collection, is set on 10 hectares as part of the Riverside Stables precinct in Sydney's Warwick Farm, home to the Inglis horse auctions. While just a 40-minute drive from the CBD, its adjacent racecourse, rural vibe and landmark yearling statue offer just enough quirkiness to feel a million miles away.

Just how horsey can an equine-themed hotel be? The answer - extremely. One step in the foyer and I want to google fascinators. However, while there's a horse depicted at every turn, the carefully curated style has the feel of a museum and you cannot help but be drawn in. The 1867 Bar & Lounge is particularly cosy with wing-backed chairs and central fireplace, showcasing horse-racing history with a display of books, photos and vintage racing paraphernalia.

The hotel has 144 rooms including 22 suites, each one as horsey as the next. My husband and I stayed in the vast Executive King Suite with a west-facing corner position, blessed with glorious afternoon sun and a breathtaking trackside view. With a sitting room, bedroom and huge bathroom, there is plenty of space for equine-themed decoratives including photos on the walls and racing-horse motif on the carpet. The king-sized bed is a winner, along with thick block-out curtains, delivering the best sleep (and sleep-in) I've had in ages.

The hotel's restaurant, the Newmarket Room, features a paddock-to-plate approach and as part of our stay we enjoyed a set two-course meal for $79 a person. The merlot-braised beef cheeks melted in the mouth, and an alternative to the entree for my non-seafood-eating husband was no problem at all. We dined surrounded by equine art and were back in the morning for a buffet breakfast along with barista-made coffee delivered to our table.

Set on a racecourse, this hotel is a dream come true for the racing community but there's plenty of non-horsey luxury, with the day spa, 24-hour fitness centre and divine rooftop pool with bar and comfy cabana-style furniture. It is also a popular wedding venue and our stay included tickets to Candlelight Concert - a string quartet, surrounded by candles, playing covers of the Beatles and Queen. Held in the Sales Arena, this marked the hotel's foray into hosting performances, a great idea as we could enjoy dinner, quality live music and a quick trip back to our luxury suite.

The rooftop pool is to die for but the crowning glory has to be our suite's magnificent outlook over the racecourse. There's no need for fascinators, you can literally watch the races while in your complimentary bathrobe and slippers. And with a Foxtel outage in the area leaving us with no use of the two televisions in our suite, the mesmerising skyline with the setting sun was indeed entertainment enough.

The writer was a guest of the hotel