Cruz Bromac leads Kiwi exodus

By Michael Guerin

A month ago owner Danny Zavitsanos could have expected to two genuine open class horses racing on New Zealand Cup day.

Instead they will both be living in Victoria.

The high energy Zavitsanos provided one of the great moments of recent Cup Days with his celebrations after his pacer Cruz Bromac won the Cup last year and he wanted to bring the defending champion back.

But he will instead stay in Victoria after a luckless sixth in the Victoria Cup last week and he will soon be joined by Zavitsanos’s elite trotter Enhance Your Calm.

The five-year-old is heading to Victoria more than likely on a one-way ticket after struggling to replicate his age group form in open class this season.

“He still has the ability but it is a hard grade over here at the moment,” says trainer Mark Purdon.

“So I think he is better placed for Danny in Victoria and it might help him get his confidence back.”

Enhance Your Calm isn’t the only talented Canterbury horse off to Australia as impressive spring campaigner Minstrel is heading to Perth.

He will join the Greg and Skye Bond stable after a half share was purchased by their clients, with his New Zealand owners out of the David and Catherine Butt stable, including the Butts themselves stay involved.

“I think he will do a great job over there,” says regular driver Bob Butt.

“He can race for about A$400,000 on four-year-old races alone so it is a good destination for him.”

Others jumping on planes to Australia include Mexicana, who will campaign in the Redwood and two-year-old trotting fillies Breeders Crown for new trainer Josh Dickie, with Anthony Butt a possible driver and caretaker trainer.

And high class intermediate grade pacer Lawrence is another to be exported.