A former champion Southland racehorse has died
Howard Bromac, aged 23, was put down at Macca Lodge, Wendonside, this week, his former trainer-driver Kirk Larsen said.
Jamie Searle is a long-time Southland racing writer who covered Howard Bromac’s impressive deeds through his racing career.
One of Southland's harness racing stars of yesteryear has died.
Howard Bromac, aged 23, was put down at Macca Lodge, Wendonside, this week, his former trainer-driver Kirk Larsen said.
"He was struggling [with his health], had arthritis and was starting to lose weight.
"We didn't want him to suffer ...the vet recommended to put him down."
Howard Bromac, who raced from August, 2002, to November, 2007, had spent the past three or four years at Macca Lodge. To help keep young horses settled at the stud, Howard Bromac grazed with them as a 'grandad' type figure, Larsen said.
The best of his 17 wins were in two Group I races in 2005 - the New Zealand Free-For-All (Christchurch) and Auckland Cup.
Howard Bromac raced in the 2005 Interdominions in Auckland, producing a win, a second and a third in the three heats and a fourth in the final.
His three starts in the New Zealand Cup yielded a third (2004), a sixth (2005) and an eighth (2006).
As a 3-year-old Howard Bromac won the coveted Southern Supremacy Stakes at Winton and finished third in the NZ Derby in Christchurch.
The versatile gelding made three trips to Australia, racing there 17 times, including 10 Group races. He recorded three wins across the Tasman.
"Derbies, Sires' Stakes, Breeders' Crown, he was in all of those races and got money in most of them and won the odd one." Larsen, of Branxholme, said.
"He didn't wear much gear ... for most of his racing he was in an open bridle, chin rest and snaffle bit."
When asked what were Howard Bromac's attributes?, Larsen replied:
"He had a big motor, had speed ... he could stay and had great manners."