Magnificent career comes to an end

Champion pacer Cruz Bromac, who amassed more than $1 million in stakes with some spine-tingling harness racing performances on both sides of the Tasman, has been retired.

The nine-year-old gelding, one of many from Bromac Lodge, the barn of successful NZ breeder the late Bob McArdle, competed against the best in Australia and New Zealand.

Cruz Bromac goes out with an amazing winning record at nearly 50 percent of his starts.

Highly regarded trainer Dean Braun, of Lara, near Geelong, has had many class performers over the past two decades, but there's one that stands out in his opinion.

"Cruz Bromac was the best horse without doubt that I've trained. He put up some phenomenal runs over his career and his victories speak for themselves," Braun said.

Dean Braun

"He was a lovely horse with a kind attitude. He was still working super on the track at home any day of the week, but his best was behind him," he said.

"Deep down I knew for a while that he wasn't the horse he had been and (regular reinsman) Chris Alford was on the same page. Cruz Bromac hasn't got anything to prove so after a meeting with the owning group manager Danny Zavitsanos recently, it was decided to retire him."

Cruz Bromac (Falcon Seelster-Crown Defender (Life Sign) posted 23 wins and 13 placings from just 56 race starts for $1,057,995 in earnings.

Braun said among his favorite memories of Cruz Bromac were wins in the NZ Cup last year, a NZ FFA, the Len Smith Mile and Victorian Country Cup successes at Cobram, Hamilton and Warragul.

Cruz Bromac winning the New Zealand Cup

"He also won five InterDominion heats and there was a big metro feature race win at Melton. He actually held the track record there up until recently when Lochinvar Art broke it," he said.

"When you went to the races with him, you always knew you would never be far away. He certainly did an outstanding job over the years."

Braun paid a modest amount for the pacer who was being prepared by astute Kiwi horseman Mark Jones.

"We bought him as an unraced three-year-old. Mark had a high opinion of the horse, so I organized for Blair Orange to drive him and the deal was later sealed," he said.

"I was racing a few in Sydney at the time so Cruz Bromac was flown into there. I started him a few days after he landed, and he ran fourth, and then won his next two-in one of these he went a bit over 1.51."

When Braun headed back to Victoria, Cruz Bromac won at his first two starts at Yarra Glen and Melton.

Cruz Bromac goes to the line in one of his Tabcorp Park Melton victories

"I took him over to the west then, but he didn't handle Perth's Gloucester Park at all," he said.

On his return he quickly got back into the winner's circle with victories at Geelong, Melton, Maryborough and Ballarat.

Champion Melbourne reinsman Chris Alford partnered Cruz Bromac to six wins. Others to enjoy success were Natalie Rasmussen (five), Greg Sugars (four), Luke McCarthy and Nathan Purdon (two each), while Chris Geary, Blair Orange, Mark Purdon and Nathan Jack each had one win.

Braun said Cruz Bromac would enjoy his retirement at a property belonging to one of his owners.

"We'll miss him. As well as being an awesome racehorse, he had a bit of character."

Terry Gange

NewsAlert PR Mildura