YEAR: 2012 INTERVIEW WITH BOB McARDLE YEAR: 2011 Nevele R Stud said goodbye to one of its favourite sons when Falcon Seelster was put down on Friday. A former great racehorse and then champion sire, Falcon Seelster was 30 and in failing health. Stud General Manager Peter O'Rourke said it was a matter of ending his discomfort. "We'd hoped that there was a chance he could brighten up with the warmer weather, but that wasn't happening. He couldn't get up three days in a row, and then he couldn't get down to rest. We didn't want to see him suffer," he said. Falcon Seelster was bought by Bob McArdle and Wayne Francis from Castleton Farms in 1995. He was a superior performer on the track, capping his career with a world record 1.51 mile on Jug Day and earning more than $US1m. For the start of his stud career, Falcon Seelster was a shuttle stallion until his status as an EVA Shedder prevented him from returning for good until 2003. "With Holmes Hanover gone, it's the end of an era," said O'Rourke. As a sire, Falcon Seelster surpassed his ability on the track with a galaxy of great performers - 11 Australasian Group 1 winners Elsu, $2m; The Falcon Strike, $1.2m; Howard Bromac, Seelster Sam, All Hart, Franco Seguel, De Lovely, Franco Jonquill, Seel N Print, Coburg and New York Fashion. Six of those horses were Derby winners, and two - Elsu and The Falcon Strike - were Australasian Grand Circuit champions. He has sired eight in 1.50, including Attorney General, 1.48.4, Allstar Blue Jean, 1.48.8, Franco Catapult, 1.49.4, and Ross The Boss, 1.50. He has sired 108 Australasian winners of more than $100,000, 720 Australasian bred winners, and 88 in 1.55 or better. Seven have won more than $1m including Nevele R Stud sire, McArdle ($2.4m). All told, his stock has won more than $110m. Falcon Seelster is making his mark as an exceptional broodmare sire, his daughters having left Bondy, Laurella, Fiery Falcon, Franco Emirate, Fly Like An Eagle, Millwood Meg, Ohoka Arizona, Veste, Mr Yankee, In The Force, Rona Lorraine, Im Mark Antony, Mach And Me and Lilac Stride - all Group 1 Winners - plus Franco Jamar and Pembrook Benny. He has 32 yearlings, 61 mares due to foal, and his frozen semen is available. Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 21 Sept 2011 YEAR: 2010 PHIL COULSON YEAR: 2009 Since then and until now, it has been a long time between good horses for Tony and Gay Abell. The space has been occupied by one or two handy horses prefixed with 'Kotare' but none as classy as the first one. Nearly 40 years ago, the Abells struck it rich with Kotare Legend, a horse they bred. The son of Fallacy won 14 of his 56 races while trained by Leicester Tatterson, but none of them in three light racing campaigns after he turned five and ended at seven with Gary Hillier. He had a bumper season at three, winning nine races but not a Derby, and finishing ninth on the all-time money list that season behind Arapaho, Robalan, Young Quinn, Easton Light, Koarakau, Noodlum, Bachelor Tom and Speedy Guest. It was hard to find one half as good after that, although the ill-fated Kotare Testament went close to doing so. But Abell had many more strings to his bow and harness racing, to its benefit, found them out. He waited longer than most to become a member of the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club. "There was a waiting list when I wanted to join, and I gave John Osborne a cheque - which he discovered in a trouser pocket eighteen months later." After serving as a steward and then as a committeeman, he went on to become President of the Club and these were good years. He was Chairman of the Inter-Dominion Harness Racing Council - now defunct - and he was Chairman of the NZ Sires' Stakes Board - all posts that took a man of merit to handle. These were front-line jobs, and Abell said it was nothing for him to be in and out of town three times a week. He still holds his AI ticket, and it's probably true to say that no-one has had it longer. "Back then, I stood Bay Foyle, Brad Hanover, Estes Minbar and Dominion Hanover, and when AI came in that was pretty much the end of it for back-yard breeders. It was time to give up. It was work for the vets, but I asked Cliff Irvine why it couldn't be done by others, and Cliff said there was no reason at all why not. So I went on the first AI course, and being an 'A' followed by a 'b' my name was the first on the list, and I was the first to get a certificate. I still do it now, for my mares and a few who are nearby." One of them is Extra B G, the dam of Kotare Mach, a 2-year-old colt by Mach Three. In winning the $100,000 Bromac Lodge NZ Welcome Stakes at Addington last Saturday with crushing ease against moderate opposition, Kotare Mach has signalled that the Abells have one with the talent that could match what Kotare Legend did. It would also be a just reward for the countless hours and effort that Abell has given to harness racing as a distinguished administrator. As sponsor Bob McArdle said: "One can't measure the influence Tony has had on the industry, and I know we will be seeing a lot more of this horse in these circumstances." The Abells bred Kotare Mach, but it was the late Peter Andrews, who followed Tony as the Chairman of the Met, who started the ball rolling. He bought Tanisa Vance as a yearling at Auckland although the official owners when she first went to stud were Graham Heenan, Keith Miles and Graeme Hawkins. "I can recall how tiny Tanisa Vance was, and she was tried and was no good, so they bred her to Pathfinder," said Abell. "I remember the foal was a thin, terrible looking thing, and they asked me to look after her. The mare was in foal to Butler B G, so I also reared and weaned the filly she had, and it was broken in and tried but didn't race." In the meantime, Abell had leased Tanisa Vance and bred two from her - the smart Kotare Jaeger by Andrel who won eight, and Kotare Jay, and Jane Moody used her later to breed Ross The Boss. Having taken over the Butler B G filly, named Extra B G in return for looking after her, Abell sent her to Camtastic, Falcon Seelster and Presidential Ball for filly foals, Armbro Operative - to whom she left a capable horse in Kotare Jago - and a filly by Village Jasper before he settled on Mach Three. "Extra B G was from a strong family and she was a good size herself. She hadn't had many colts, just one in fact, and I really like Mach Three from the start. I actually had a booking, but when they put the fee up from $6000 to $8000 I didn't take it up. Then, we were up at Auckland for the final night of the Inter-Dominions, and Mach Three was advertised at a special rate of $6000 just for that night. I booked in Extra B G then." The mare left a brown colt and if Abell didn't know he had something a little extra then, the figuring came soon enough. "He was a little bull, always strong and capable. I liked him right from the start and I told this to my neighbour, Dennis Bennett. And he looked bigger than he's turned out to be. I thought he might be half a hand taller than what he is." Abell broke him and did all the early work with him. "As is my habit, with anything I think a bit of I send to Mark Smolenski for evaluation. He usually has them for a month. He got very excited about him, and of course that didn't surprise me." "He was just a happy, easy-going horse. And my question to Mark was 'will we qualify him?" He did that well enough; Dexter Dunn driving him for Smolenski in a qualifer he won by 11 lengths on November 1 at Ashburton. There was talk of big money for him after that. "We had three approaches before he raced, and the answer to each of them was no. We really breed horses to sell and shouldn't fall in love with them, but with this one we did. Mark suggested even then, before he raced, that Mark Purdon should have him, but we were happy to leave him where he was for his first start. He got a rough run in that, and a punctured tyre, so we left him there for the Sapling Stakes and Mark took him after that." From three starts for Purdon and Payne, Kotare Mach has won three, setting a New Zealand record over 1700m at Invercargill, a win in a Sires' Stakes Heat and then his wholesale destruction of the Welcome Stakes field. From the sidelines, and being a horseman himself, Abell had mixed feelings of losing his young star. "He looked forward to his work every day, and I do miss him. But I suspected he could be a bit special, and I knew I had to give him up. My only hope is that I get him home to look after at some time, but then I might not." Always enthusiastic, Abell is not slowing down at 74, and is handling six yearlings. Extra B G has a filly foal at foot by Live Or Die and her next mating will be back to Mach Three in 2010. They will all carry the 'Kotare' moniker, but it will be 'Mach' who should continue the legend. Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HR Weekly 16Apr09 YEAR: 2005
"I first got into harness racing when I was young, but then had a break for about thirty years," said Philpott. "We'd have interests in about forty horses now," she said. Philpott is heavily involved in the day-to-day runnings of the building and investment company Slingsby Holdings, a role she stepped into following the death of her father. She regularly sponsors races at Harold Park, and also Bulli, where during February every year two $50,000 events for 2-year-olds called the Lindon Huntley Little Memorials are raced in honour of her late father. Philpott first got to know the Larsens through Tahonga's Hanover, who was sold to her from Kirk's stable in 1997. "He won us twelve races, and gave my mum Edith so much pleasure," she said. "Kirk and Michelle came over to Australia not long after that, and we've just clicked ever since." Philpott continued to purchase horses from New Zealand, with the next one being Howard Bromac's older full brother Harvey Bromac, the first foal of Holmes Hanover mare Honour Bromac. Harvey Bromac won a dozen races as well, which seems to be a pertinent number because Howard Bromac was registering the 12th win of his career in the Free-For-All. Subsequent foals from Honour Bromac, all bred by Nevele R's Bob McArdle, are heading in the same direction too. Live Or Die 3-year-old Huntley Bromac has already been shipped across, and Larsen says the next one - Mystical Shark 2-year-old Hallelujah Bromac - is "quite a nice horse". Others that Philpott has bought from the same source include Hardly Matters, Clint Westwood and Albert Einstein, which have all won their fair share of races, so it is no surprise she's quickly growing a soft spot fo Kiwi-bred horses. For Larsen, the FFA victory was also his first taste of Group 1 glory, but by Sunday he was almost downplaying the achievment with his 'back to business as usual' approach. "The horse deserved one," he said. "He probably lacks a bit of brilliance, but he got the run to suit - doing no work on a hot pace; he can always give you that good quarter when things pan out that way. And he really dug deep that last fifty metres." Howard Bromac's connections weren't issued an invitation to the Miracle Mile, which is traditionally the case following the Free-For-All every year; that's quite remarkable considering his Australian owners throw a great deal of money into sponsorship at Harold Park, too. So without it even being an option, Larsen will continue with his original plan of the Auckland Cup, Hunter Cup and Inter-Dominions as the main targets for his stable star. "There's so many big races coming up for him, and even if he only did the same as last year (win one race) I'd be happy. And he's still only six, so if he stays soung there's no reason why we shouldn't be looking to line up again in the Cup next year," he said. Credit: John Robinson writing in HR Weekly YEAR: 1999
The 'Franco' name will be a lasting legacy to the huge contribution Wayne Francis made to the harness racing industry in New Zealand. His death from cancer, at the age of 56, in the early hours of Monday morning, came well before its time. Even as his health deteriorated in recent months, Francis kept in contact with his racing interests and continued business dealings until the last few weeks. "Just a fortnight ago we were discussing the offer on a horse for $18,000," said Peter O'Rourke, who managed the sale of young horses from Spryeydon Lodge. "Wayne said 'see if we can get $20,000,' After knowing him for 30 years, he was a hard man but fair. His word was his bond. He was a straight-shooter who didn't like others who weren't," he said. Francis developed Spreydon Lodge into a state of the art training facility, where trainer John Hay prepares young horses to race and for sale. "Each year, he would send in 40 to 50 yearlings, and process them from there. Spreydon Lodge always made a profit. He knew the problems of the industry, but never complained," he said. O'Rourke said Francis was very interested "on a daily basis. He kept close contact with what was happening up until the last week or so. He gained immense satisfaction from coming into the stable and being up with what was going on," he said. Well before the introduction of the Franco name, Francis had formed a partnership with Bob McArdle that started with the importation of the stallion Nevele Romeo in 1972 and the establishment of Nevele R Stud a year later. "We set out in 1973 to develop a showplace stud, and through years of persistency this has come about," said McArdle. "There have been a lot of highs and lows in that time, but to survive 27 years shows the amount of respect we had for each other...an association between a Canterbury farmer and a Tasmanian trader. One of the biggest thrills I had was selling Wayne, and George and John Noble Stanley Rio as a 2-year-old for $25,000. He was the best horse Wayne raced, and the only one I sold him personally. And if I had one disappointment, it was that Wayne would never make a presentation at the races the stud sponsored. I said once that the only way I could get Wayne to do this would be for me to win the Oaks, so he would have to make the presentation, but he has got out of that," he said. Nevele R Stud has stood approximately 25 stallions, including last season's leading sire, Holmes Hanover, along with Soky's Atom, Live Or Die, Caprock, Falcon Seelster and OK Bye. Francis was involved in the purchase of them all, and in the negotiations of a new stallion the stud hopes to acquire for the coming season. "The stud has continued an upward spiral since we started," said McArdle. "I know Wayne would want it to continue on in that way," he said. Aside from Stanley Rio, who won the New Zealand Cup and an Inter-Dominion Grand Final, Francis was represented by the top-liners Franco Enforce (1:50), Smart Son (1:49.6), There's A Franco and Nostradamus. He was a steward of the New Brighton Harness Racing Club while in his early 20s, and was involved in the formation of the New Zealand Sires' Stakes Board in the early 80s. "He has been Treasurer of the Board right through, and the success of it has in many ways been due to Wayne's financial ability," said Secretary, Doreen Graham. Outside of racing Francis was a major land developer. He loved his outdoor pursuits; especially wild game hunting and fishing. And one of his regular companions was 'Bessy,' his rottweiler who would ride on the back of his pick-up. "He would call in every day, pick up his mail and have a chat," said Hay. "Bessy was always with him. We had a pretty hard task, what we were doing, but we always got on pretty well," he said. Wayne is survived by his wife Debbie, and daughter, Helena. Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 30Jun99 YEAR: 1996
There was no-one more appropriate than Wayne Francis to step up and receive the trophy for the Nevele R Stud New Zealand Oaks. One of the doyens of the New Zealand breeding industry, Francis won the race with his Holmes Hanover filly There's A Franco, who came from behind Highland Park and Party Party to win pulling away. As co-proprietor with Bob McArdle of Nevele R Stud, Francis sponsored the race, a Group race he won earlier with Preferred, a Boyden Hanover filly Malcolm Shinn raced with him. His second winner was driven by John Hay, a very capable horseman he employed as private trainer at Spreydon Lodge nearly two years ago. He knew that Hay would take time to get the results he was hoping for. "When he came, he really had to start from scratch. They were foals and yearlings, and There's A Franco was one of those he has brought through from a yearling. There have been others, like Franco Hat Trick, who we just sold for big money, and No Way Franco who had more natural ability and more speed but got a virus, bled and will go to stud next season. We could actually have been in the nice situation of having two top runners in the Sires' Stakes Final and the DB Fillies final, but we have only the filly. I'm looking for a super horse, like everyone else, but I also have to apply commercial judgement and this is what I did in the case of selling Franco Hat Trick. I have the mother, and I have her daughters," he said. For Francis, winning the Oaks was a thrill. In terms of prestige, it falls short of winning the New Zealand Cup and Inter-Dominion Grand Final, which he did with Stanley Rio, but owning the sire and dam gave him a different satisfaction this time. Tango Franco, a daughter of the grand racemare Tempest Tiger, earlier left This Time Franco, also by Holmes Hanover, who won the DB Fillies Final after finishing second in the Oaks a week earlier. Tango Franco was one of 20 mares Francis sent to the stud's new import Falcon Seelster this stud season. As pleased as he is with the combination so far, the conservative Francis predicts brighter days ahead..."this time next year, I'd be surprised if we can't look back and be pretty happy with the results." The race itself was a tight, testing event, with some drivers electing to go for the penalty as they rejected the push-out rule outside the 1000 metres. Greg Hope was fined $500 for this, and it cost Barry Purdon, who followed him out, $350. The main sufferer was Impact, one of the favourites, who instead of improving three wide, had to do it four-wide. Talking on those tactics, driver Ricky May said tersely: "Sheer incompetence, that's all it was." Hay was fortunate to escape injury in a smash in the race after the Oaks. He had blurred vision which prevented him for driving in the latter races, but the Oaks and a win earlier behind the Geoff Dunn- trained Never Going Holme in a Sires' Stakes heat minimised the seriousness of the mishap for him. Credit: Mike Grainger writing in NZHR Weekly YEAR: 1983 1983 NZ OAKS YEAR: 1977 BRISBANE - STANLEY RIO YEAR: 1976
George Noble, for many years one of New Zealand's leading trainers, experienced his greatest moment in trotting when Stanley Rio won the 1976 New Zealand Cup at Addington Seventy-six-year-old Noble, born in Australia, has prepared many of New Zealand's top pacers in his long career, but no victory gave him more pleasure than to receive the Cup from NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club president, Eugene McDermott. George Noble races Stanley Rio in partnership with Christchurch farmer and businessman Wayne Francis, and his son John Noble, who drove Stanley Rio to his convincing two and three quarters lengths victory over Captain Harcourt and Fronto Prontezza. For young Tasmanian Kay Rainbird, it was a nostalgic moment as she sat in the stand to watch the horse she bred with her father, win New Zealand's premier standardbred event. Kay bred Stanley Rio in Launceston in partnership with her father, but on his death, the colt had to be sold to help pay death duties. The Nevele Golfer - Rio Fleur youngster was purchased by Bob and John McArdle of the International Thoroughbred Agency, Melbourne, and they in turn sold Stanley Rio to Wayne Francis and John Noble. Wayne and John then offered a third share in the colt to Gearge Noble. Stanley Rio did his early two-year-old racing in Australia, where he was successful once at Ballarat, before he was brought to New Zealand where he entered George's stable at Roydon Lodge. As a three-year-old last season, he maintained solid improvement throughout the year and was rated good enough by the partnership to send back to Australia to contest big events there. He won the Southern Cross Stakes, a heat of the New South Wales Derby before receiving a shocking run in the final, a minor race, and then went to Brisbane in June for the Queensland Derby, won the previous year by Noodlum. After winning a heat of this classic, he did not get the best of runs in the final and failed to make it two in a row for New Zealand. He came through a solid preparation for this year's Cup, already qualified for the event, and showed he was at peak form with a win and an unlucky fourth at Auckland last month. The odds against a New Zealand Cup are always high, for not many even reach Cup class, but Stanley Rio was following in the footsteps of such great four-year-olds as Lookaway and Lordship, the only others of his age group to win the Cup. The race was robbed of a lot of interest when the top North Island hope Final Curtain backed away just as the tapes were released. He, Master Dean and Lunar Chance, who drifted at the start when trying to avoid the breakers in front of him were out of contention virtually from the start. Stanley Rio bounced out best from Palestine, Fronto Prontezza, Eclipse, Speedy Guest, Captain Harcourt and Mighty Gay, then there was a gap back to Wee Win, who led the straggling remainder. Palestine, Forto Prontezza, Speedy Guest, Mighty Gay, Captain Harcourt all had turns at the front until Eclipse dashed to the lead at the 1200 metres. Stanley Rio, who had been pushed back on the inner, had worked off the rails in the meantime and was well placed in the fourth line on the outer starting the last 800 metres. He moved three wide to avoid Mighty Gay, who was making no further forward progress, at the 600 metres and though sixth at the top of the straight, he was handy to lodge his challenge. Once asked to go, Stanley Rio soon put the issue beyond doubt and only had to be reminded of his obligations to go to the line nearly three lengths clear of Captain Harcourt. Captain Harcourt looked to be held up for a stride or two behind Eclipse at the top of the straight, but he never looked like bridging the gap to Stanley Rio. Fort Prontezza, who was shuffled back as the lead changed, made a strong bid from the top of the straight where he was seventh, to take third, only half a head fron Captain Harcourt. Speedy Guest, who had the task of getting a run inside both Eclipse and Captain Harcourt, was nearly two lengths back fourth. He looked as though he could have played a more important part in the finish had he got clear earlier, though he too would have been hard pressed to catch the winner. Final Curtain staged a remarkable run for fifth two lengths back just ahead of Eclipse, Mighty Gay, the well beaten Lunar Chance and Palestine. Stanley Rio's time for the 3200 metres was not a fast one, 4:11.5, but there is no doubting the Cup went to a very worthy winner. Credit: Tony Williams writing in the NZ Trotguide
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