The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Racing: Kiwifruit Cup win a boost for Cambridge trainer

Waipa Post
3 Jul, 2018 12:00 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Cheval Stud owner Frank Drummond with mare Classic Shot (by Zabeel) and her El Hermano filly. One of Classic Shot's progeny Montezuma was a Great Northern Hurdles winner. Photo / Supplied

Cheval Stud owner Frank Drummond with mare Classic Shot (by Zabeel) and her El Hermano filly. One of Classic Shot's progeny Montezuma was a Great Northern Hurdles winner. Photo / Supplied

El Luchador's victory in the Kiwifruit Cup (2100m) at Tauranga on Saturday was a boost for Cambridge trainer Mark Brooks after his recent return to New Zealand.

"It was a great win, we are all happy," Brooks said.

"Frank (Drummond, owner) had leased some of the horses out, so we had a few first-time owners and they had a ball.

"He had a hurdle trial only a few weeks ago and he's got half his hurdle ticket, but he'll probably stay on the flat for another couple of runs now anyway."

Trainer Mark Brooks is happy to be back in Cambridge after a stint training at Ballarat in Victoria. Photo / Supplied
Trainer Mark Brooks is happy to be back in Cambridge after a stint training at Ballarat in Victoria. Photo / Supplied
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Brooks had been training at Ballarat in Victoria, but found after a few months that New Zealand was the better option for his operation.

However, the Cambridge conditioner hasn't found it easy re-establishing himself in his homeland, but he said he has received great support from owners such as Frank Drummond, who owns El Luchador and stood his ill-fated sire El Hermano.

"The (Ballarat) club didn't quite come to the party on everything they said they were going to, so we tossed and turned for a while and then we decided we were probably better off back in New Zealand," Brooks said.

"It's probably taken us a while (to re-establish the stable in New Zealand), but that's to be expected and a lot of our owners have been great supporters since we've returned.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Frank's been a big supporter. We normally had five or six horses in work for Frank and he's currently supporting us with that number.

"We have got about 25 in work, but probably half of them are racehorses and half of them are horses we are educating for Hong Kong and Singapore."

Brooks formerly trained out of a barn now occupied by Trina and Jonathan Riddell at the Cambridge training track, but he hasn't moved far to his new quarters.

"We've got another stable just right next to the Cambridge track," he said.

While he is enjoying his time back in New Zealand, Brooks hasn't ruled out a return to Australia in the future.

"Cambridge is as good a place as any in the world to live, so we are enjoying being back in New Zealand," he said.

But hopefully if we get a couple of horses that are good enough we will go back."

Save
    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

Inside the Hawke's Bay farm turning bare paddocks into a food forest oasis

09 Mar 03:31 AM
The Country

David Reesby secures second shot at Young Farmer grand final

09 Mar 03:00 AM
The Country

From wind to tariffs: Avocado growers navigate a tougher but resilient season

09 Mar 02:30 AM

Sponsored

Backing locals, every day

22 Feb 11:00 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Inside the Hawke's Bay farm turning bare paddocks into a food forest oasis
The Country

Inside the Hawke's Bay farm turning bare paddocks into a food forest oasis

Kahikatea Farm now grows more than 400 types of certified organic plants.

09 Mar 03:31 AM
David Reesby secures second shot at Young Farmer grand final
The Country

David Reesby secures second shot at Young Farmer grand final

09 Mar 03:00 AM
From wind to tariffs: Avocado growers navigate a tougher but resilient season
The Country

From wind to tariffs: Avocado growers navigate a tougher but resilient season

09 Mar 02:30 AM


Backing locals, every day
Sponsored

Backing locals, every day

22 Feb 11:00 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • NZME Digital Performance Marketing
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2026 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP