About Us

Founded in 1973 by Bob McArdle and Wayne Francis, Nevele R Stud has grown into one of Australasia’s foremost Standardbred Breeding Farms, offering breeders access to an impressive selection of world-class sires and the very best in equine reproductive knowledge.

Based in Canterbury, NZ, our 500-acre Prebbleton Farm has been home to such legendary sires as Holmes Hanover, the first NZ based stallion to sire more than 1,000 winners (and at last count a staggering 1500+) and Falcon Seelster, the sire of the winners of almost $100 million in stakes worldwide and now a sire of successful young stallions McArdle and Elsu.

The coming 2009/10 season will see Nevele R stand nine well credentialled stallions on the property and offer breeders access to a further six world class sires through frozen semen.

Of the stallions standing in the flesh, Live Or Die, should once again prove popular with breeders after enjoying another fabulous season in 2008/09, particularly across the Tasman where he sired five Group One winners, including an unbelievable three Grand Circuit winners – Divisive, Power Of Tara and Bold Cruiser, and finished up in the top three on the sires premiership table.

Another of our in demand stallions is the rising super star McArdle who also had a sensational second season with his progeny on the track. Not only did he finish the season as NZ’s leading 2YO sire he was also the sire of one of the season’s best 3yo’s in Tintin In America, who set a new national record for male pacers when blazing to 1:53.2 in the Harness Jewels 3YO Emerald at Ashburton Raceway at the end of May. He is also forging a great strike rate when it comes to leaving winners with 40% of all live foals from his first crop having won to date and a staggering 75% qualified.

His sire Falcon Seelster has also had a strong season and although in the twilight of his career now is still producing plenty of winners – 50 in NZ and 46 in Aussie, including the Group 1 winning Aussie filly New York Fashion and promising NZ 2yo filly Zenstar, who set a new NZ record of 1:55.8 over 1700m recently . He is also increasingly being sought after as a broodmare sire with his daughters leaving some outstanding talents in the past season, notably the champion 3yo filly Lauraella.

Badlands Hanover continued on where he left off last season with four individual Group 1 winners to his name – Chariot King, Flying Pocketlands, Nearea Franco and Washakie, as well as a number of other promising types like Southland Oaks winner Beaudiene Bad Babe, Jewels place-getter Crystal Star, the unbeaten Move Over, Rocket Star and Balleybofey etc…  His progeny have also excelled in the States in the last few months with the 4yo mare Tug River Princess becoming his second millionaire and his 3yo’s featuring among North America’s fastest (Barber Pole) and richest (Mr Wiggles) for the season to date.

The beautifully bred Red River Hanover has also had a season to remember, siring his first Group 1 winner in Garnet River, as well as the multiple Group 1 place-getter Runaway Red.  Mister Zion and River Field have also impressed in 2009. The young stallion is certainly wracking up the winners having sired around 40 in the past season.

Nevele’s R sole resident trotting sire Continentalman has also had a memorable season, leaving the likes of Australian Group 1 winner Conaroyal, the Group 2 winning kiwi juvenile Continental Auto and SA Trotters Cup winner Gammel Dansk.

2009/10 will see the first foals of Little Brown Jug winner P-Forty Seven hit the track and so far the reports from breakers and pre-trainers have been excellent. His debut crop also sold well at the Yearlings Sales with his foals averaging $23,000 and selling up to $48,000. His first crop of any real size goes under the hammer in early 2010. 

One of New Zealand’s fastest ever pacer’s, Pay Me Christian, is also returning to Nevele R for stud duties with the former NZ Derby winner available to serve mares on farm only. Joining him will be fellow speedster Lis Mara, with the champion American racehorse returning for his second season after serving another good book of mares in Canada.

Frozen semen will also be available this season from the former US Horse of the Year Rocknroll Hanover. Rocknroll Hanover has had a sensational start to his stud career in 2009 with a slew of impressive 2yo winners to date (5 in 1:55 so far). The superstar trotting sire Muscles Yankee will again be available to NZ breeders as will his compatriot CR Commando, the sire of freakish NZ trotting juvenile The Fiery Ginga and Aussie Group 1 winning juvenile Elusive Charm. The globe trotting Swedish bred square-gaiter Revenue is also available, and is enjoying a good season in the States to date with the unbeaten juvenile Break The Bank K and New Jersey Sires Stakes heat winner Reve Pride impressing.

We still have stocks of deceased Australasian champ Holmes Hanover and there is a limited supply of incomparable US sire Artsplace available for the up coming season.