NSW FLYER CONFIRMS TOP RATING
Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones was keen for new found Sydney star Cruz Bromac (p3, 1:51.6) to join a strong NZ stable but there were no takers.
Mark Jones, always had a big opinion of Cruz Bromac.
“Robert Dunn and Terry Chmiel were advised strongly by me to buy him,” Mark said.
“I couldn’t believe they didn’t want him.”
Mark gave Cruz Bromac a high ranking, saying he was one of the best horses he’d trained, even before he qualified last month.
“They made excuses for not taking him but its their loss and Dean’s gain,” he said.
Australian trainer Dean Braun didn’t even need a drive behind the Falcon Seelster gelding after Mark told him he possessed great potential.
“Dean bought him off my word,” Mark said.
The deal was completed just a few days before Cruz Bromac qualified at Timaru on July 25.
“He’d only ever bought one other off me and she won three Group Ones (Itz Nosurprises) so we’ve got a good relationship and he’s a top trainer.”
A former $12,000 buy from the Bromac Lodge draft at the Australasian Classic Yearling Sales, Cruz Bromac entered the ownership of Mark Jones and fellow Canterbury
trainer Andrew Stuart.
“We’re sellers as the money we race for in Canterbury isn’t good enough,” Mark said.
“He never failed a vet test. I was patient with him as he was a big horse but always had wicked speed.”
Cruz Bromac had exceeded expectations in a whirlwind month.
Terry Chmiel drove him to win a stand start 2600m workout in 3:23.8 (last 800m in 55.6) at Rangiora in his first public outing on July 13.
He then won easily but was 0.5 seconds outside qualifying time at Rangiora on July 20 when driven by Blair Orange, then qualified at Timaru five days later for Kimberly Butt when second to Dreamcoat, rating 2:00.6 (2000m), with the leaders last 800m in 56.8s.
He was flown to Sydney two days later, then ran a luckless fourth first-up in a 1:54 mile at Menangle on August 1.
Cruz Bromac showed his class second-up, scoring in a 1:55.7 rate over 2300m, on August 8.
The Falcon Seelster-Crown Defender gelding highlighted his exciting potential at Menangle on Saturday, August 22, leading up and clearing out by 18.8 metres to score in 1:51.6 (1609m) in a $A20,400 3YO pace.
He ran the opening quarter in 27.6s, backed off a shade through the second in 29.1s, then driver Luke McCarthy put paid to the opposition over the final two quarters in 27.4s and 27.5s.
Cruz Bromac has plenty of good winners in his immediate family.
He’s a brother, or half-brother, to other useful Australian winners in Churchill Bromac (1:57.3, 13 wins & $A67,811) and Coltrane Bromac (1:57.5, eight wins & $A47,358).
His dam Crown Defender (Life Sign-Classic Blue Jeans, by Camluck) is an unraced half-sister to smart Kiwi winner and fast North American winner Attorney General (1:48.4, US).
Crown Defender is also a half-sister to the big Australian winners Crown Bromac (1:54.1, 15 wins & $A139,878), Captain Bromac (1:57.8, 15 wins & $116,523) and Cullen Bromac (1:55.1, 20 wins & $131,616), all being from Classic Blue Jeans.
Another daughter of Classic Blue Jeans in Crown Counsel (TT, 1:58.1) has bred on, leaving the smart winners, Cullens Crown (NZ, Aust & USA winner of 26 races & over $400,000 lifetime, 1:52.1, US), Falcon Crown (five wins) and Attorney Stride (1:57.5, 11 wins & $53,855).
Classic Blue Jeans (Camluck-Oh Please, by Albatross), is a half-sister to big international winner Falcons Blue Jean (1:51.8 US, 28 wins & $442,232).
Mark Jones also secured a now 2YO half-brother to Cruz Bromac, by the Western Ideal horse Vintage Master (1:48.2, US), at this year’s NZ Premier Yearling Sales.
Named Caviar Bromac, he changed hands for $27,000.
By Jeff Scott