Bayleys agent Andrew Bonnor says the 53ha facility on Napier Road near the edge of Palmerston North city sits on some of the region’s highest quality soils that have a proven history for growing high quality produce and pasture.

“The property has also been appointed to a very high standard including a five-bedroom executive style home, and a second home that is in itself a very high standard, along with the assorted facilities built for the horse agistment business.”

Rosy Pratt, daughter of the late Kevin has been overseeing the property since her father’s death last August. She says the operation which was only fully established in 2014 is the culmination of her father’s passion for horses, and his ability to make some smart business choices over the course of his career.

“Dad worked hard for many years, then came back to his passion for horses – his greatest desire was to see horses that had been bred here go to the races and do well, and as a family we are doing our best to fulfil his dream.”

Kevin was a late comer to the racing industry and was drawn to the sector when his younger sister Brenda became ill and he purchased her a racehorse to provide a welcome interest during her illness.

That horse was King Kamada and it managed to win a race at Trentham only a week before Brenda died. At the time Kevin said the joy it bought his sister was enough to prompt him to take a deep dive into the industry and commit completely to the facility as it is today.

Some of the more illustrious racers trained up during Kevin’s ownership include Home by Midnight which won the Launceston Cup a year ago, also known as Five to Midnight here in New Zealand which which came second “by a lip” in the Auckland Cup in 2018.

Other good horses well known to the racing community have included Windsor, and Kolonel Kev.

Rosy says the horses thrived in an environment that included the best of facilities, overseen by her father who she says never did anything by half measure, and poured his energy into the property.

Those facilities include a surgery for minor operations, rehabilitation stables, a full 1900m race-track, high quality stabling and electrified railing fences throughout.

“It is pretty much the best place to be if you are a horse, and the animals have thrived here.”

The property’s high-quality soils reflected in pastures that offer a high clover content, and the 80-plus steers that have been run over the past 12 months have consistently achieved the highest grading scores at the processing plant.

“We have the benefit of the land here all being on fertile river soils and tests show a high level of fertility throughout the property,” she says.

The location on some of the highest producing horticultural land in the lower North Island also offers another income option for a buyer, along with its proximity to Palmerston North city.

Rosy admits selling the property has a sense of the bittersweet with it, but she is also proud of the effort Kevin put in to make it a stand out, high quality facility that has proven itself in a short period of time.

Andrew Bonnor says options for potential buyers of the 53ha property are many, given the facilities and the natural assets of contour, soils and fertility ensuring some viable alternatives to its current use.

“It is very rarely we see properties of this calibre come onto the market, with infrastructure to a very high standard – given its location and quality we confidently expect there will be some strong interest from a number of different sectors,” he says.

The property is for sale by tender closing March 11, and will not be sold prior. Interested parties can contact Andrew on +64 27 941 7630