Tribute to Falcon Seelster

The end of an era - Falcon Seelster euthanised


It was a sad end to the week at Nevele R with one of the stud's flagship stallion's Falcon Seelster put down on Friday at the age of 30.

A racehorse ahead of his time, Falcon Seelster was purchased by Bob McArdle and Wayne Francis in 1995 and became a champion stallion, leaving the likes of Grand Circuit champions Elsu and The Falcon Strike downunder, and in the Northern Hemisphere $2.4 million earner McArdle and one-time richest mare in the world Shady Daisy.

The winner of more than $1.1 million on the track, Falcon Seelster's 1985 Jug Day world record performance of 1:51 flat on the half-mile Delaware track remains one of Harness Racing's most iconic races and was a record that stood for a staggering 17 years.

As great a racehorse as he was, he was an ever better sire with his progeny winning more than $100 million worldwide to date and including seven millionaires.

Downunder he was the sire of one of NZ's best pacers of all time, Elsu, the winner of 11 Group 1 races, along with the likes of champion filly De Lovely, millionaire pacer The Falcon Strike, Auckland Cup and NZ FFA winner Howard Bromac, Mare of the Year Coburg, and the Derby winners All Hart, Franco Sequel, Seelster Sam, Seel N Print and Franco Jonquil.

He was also the sire of some of NZ's fastest standardbreds ever with Attorney General (1:48.4), Allstar Blue Jean (1:48.8) and Franco Catapult (1:49.4) all recording sub 1:50 times. 88 of his Australasian bred progeny have career best times of 1:55 or better, whilst more than 320 pacers worldwide recorded times of 1:55 or faster.

To date he is the sire of more than 720 Australasian bred winners.

His daughters have also become highly sought after by breeders with them doing a superb job in the breeding paddock, leaving 14 Group 1 winners to date including the likes of Lauraella, Bondy, Franco Emirate, Fiery Falcon, Fly Like An Eagle, Lilac Stride, Millwood Meg and Veste.

His legacy will live on at Nevele R through his successful sire son McArdle and first season sire and grandson Tintin In America.