Manawatu horseman Gus Clutterbuck is joining the training drain.
Clutterbuck, who has spent all of his training career in the central districts, mainly at Awapuni in Palmerston North, is shifting to Cambridge in the Waikato.
He will become private trainer for prominent Auckland owner Gerard Peterson as a replacement for Leanne Bertling who will take up a job at Graeme Rogerson's Dubai stable.
The central districts has lost several high profile trainers in recent years, among them Paddy Busuttin, John Sargent, Murray Baker, Patrick Campbell, Don Sellwood, Stephen Gray and Chris McNab.
Clutterbuck, 47, has a good record as a trainer but has struggled to attract horses in recent times and has only eight in work.
"It's been pretty quiet for us for a while now," Clutter said yesterday.
"Eight to 10 horses isn't that many and it's a long time since we had a good number in work. I don't think we would have lasted that much longer, anyway.
"Once the sales and the studs moved north it became harder to get horses here, and the northern studs are reluctant to lease horses to the central districts now.
"As well, a lot of northern horses used to be transferred down here, if they were battling a bit up there, but now they go straight to the South Island, and we are also starting to lose a few to Singapore."
Zelazny and Marchero were early flag-bearers for Clutterbuck as a trainer and he produced Lady Agnes to win the Filly of the Year title in the 1992-93 season.
Lady Agnes won the group one Mumm Stakes at Ellerslie and the Sir Tristram Classic at Te Rapa and also raced with distinction in Australia, winning the Adrian Knox Stakes in Sydney and running third in the AJC Oaks.
Clutterbuck also won group races with Stardette and Little Len and had one of his best moments in racing when Wake Forest won the 1999 New Zealand Cup.
Wake Forest, who will make the move north with Clutterbuck, has his third run in a new campaign in the $35,000 Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Otaki today.
The six-year-old had a long spell after suffering heart strain in Brisbane last winter, but has come back well.
He ran fourth, first-up, over 1300m at Tauherenikau and was blocked for a run in the straight when sixth at Matamata at his last start.
"He's coming along well and as long as the fire's out of the track this weekend, he should go a good race," Clutterbuck said.
If he goes as expected, Wake Forest will tackle next weekend's $60,000 Taranaki Cup (2000m) at New Plymouth. The Hawkes Bay Cup is also on his programme.
- NZPA
Racing: Awapuni trainer Clutterbuck joins shift north
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