Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Tenzing Bromac, a rising star of WA pacing, reappeared after an absence of 19 weeks and showed that he will be a leading contender for the $300,000 Fremantle Cup on April 26 with a powerful performance to win the $31,000 SEFSolutions.com.au Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Produced in splendid condition by leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, and driven in great style by Deni Roberts, Tenzing Bromac, the $2.80 second fancy, defeated the $2.65 favourite Tricky Miki by a half-length, rating 1.55.9 over 2130m.
Tenzing Bromac, a New Zealand-bred six-year-old, began from the outside barrier in the field of eight and raced four and three wide early as he surged forward to assume the breeze position outside $4 chance Hampton Banner.
Chris Lewis set a solid pace with Hampton Banner, with opening quarters of 29.5sec., 29.2sec. and 29sec., with Tenzing Bromac working without cover and Tricky Miki enjoying an ideal passage, one-out and one-back.
Roberts refused to be tempted to challenge for the lead in the back straight in the final lap, preferring to remain in the breeze and happy to keep Tricky Miki behind her until she urged Tenzing Bromac forward approaching the home turn and then getting to the front 115m from the post. Tricky Miki, driven by Maddison Brown, finished fast to be an excellent second.
“Deni rated him perfectly,” said Greg Bond, “She had Tricky Miki on her back, and after the race she said she had the leader covered in the back straight, so she waited until late to get to the front.
“Tenzing Bromac’s work at home has been great and he did what we were hoping he would do. He is a quality Free-For-Aller, moving forward, and the Fremantle Cup will be his aim. And if there are some slots floating, he is definitely available to contest the Nullarbor slot race.
“He is a versatile horse who is tough, and he has a lot of bullets to fire.”
Tenzing Bromac won once from two New Zealand starts, and his 16 wins and 11 placings from 31 WA starts have boosted his earnings to $243,246.