EX-OVERPORT LODGE HORSE CRUZ BROMAC WINS AT MENANGLE
Cruz Bromac (Falcon Seelster-Crown Defender), after qualifying at Timaru late last month for the Mark Jones stable, won second-up at Menangle, New South Wales, on Saturday August 8 in a smart 1:55.7 rate over 2300m.
The Bromac Lodge-bred pacer was snapped up by Australian trainer Dean Braun four days before qualifying at Timaru when the runnerup to raceplaced maiden Dreamcoat in a 2:00.4 rate over the 2000m on July 25.
Cruz Bromac then jetted across the Tasman and was thrust into action first-up at Tabcorp Park Menangle on August 1, running fourth in a 1:54 mile behind fellow ex-Canterbury pacer Matty Groves.
Last Saturday, he beat other fellow Kiwi pacers in Lets Cut Loose and (Oh) Jonny Be Good in the $A20,400 MacArthur Automotive 3YO Pace. Matty Groves ran fourth on this occasion.
In the hands of Luke McCarthy, Cruz Bromac scored by 3.5m, the leaders keeping the pace strong over the last 800m in 55.7s and final 400m in 28.1s.
A former $12,000 buy at the Australasian Classic Yearling Sales, Cruz Bromac is a brother or half-brother to earlier useful Australian winners in Churchill Bromac (1:57.3, 13 wins & $A67,811) and Coltrane Bromac (1:57.5, eight wins & $A47,358).
Cruz Bromac’s dam Crown Defender (Life Sign-Classic Blue Jeans, by Camluck-Oh Please) is an unraced half-sister by Life Sign to fast North American winner and now sire Attorney General (1:48.4, US), and also 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).
Classic Blue Jeans, the grand-dam of Cruz Bromac, is a half-sister to big international winner Falcons Blue Jean (1:51.8 US, 28 wins & $442,232).
Like Cruz Bromac, Falcons Blue Jean is by Falcon Seelster, who died in 2011 but has continued to breed on through the process of frozen semen straws retained by Bromac Lodge proprietor, Bob McArdle.
Falcons Blue Jean won his first six and $171,986 in New Zealand, including the 1999 $155,665 PGG NZ Yearling Sales 3YO Open Pace (beating Stars And Stripes) when racing for Mark Purdon.
He latterly advanced his score for Mark Purdon’s brother-in-law, Ardmore trainer Tony Herlihy, before being sold to race in North America.