Racing: Busuttin sets up Cambridge base

Paddy Busuttin

Paddy Busuttin will return to New Zealand next month after nine years training in Singapore.

Busuttin, 52, set a trend when he left his former Manawatu base at Foxton in 1997 to go to Singapore, where he has enjoyed much success.

Laurie Laxon, Stephen Gray and Bruce Marsh all followed him.

Busuttin was among the top five trainers in his first five years of operations in Singapore.

He has had a number of highlights, notably with the New Zealand-bred Bocelli, who was the island nation's 2001 Horse of the Year.

Bocelli won nine races for Busuttin, including eight in a row.

He remains the only horse to have completed the prestigious Singapore treble of the Patron's Bowl, Singapore Derby Trial and Singapore Derby.

Busuttin also campaigned Bocelli in England and Hong Kong.

Busuttin, who started training in 1974, also enjoyed many significant wins before leaving New Zealand.

They included three Wellington Cups, an Auckland Cup, the 1989 New Zealand Derby and the 1991 Kelt Capital Stakes with his superb galloper Castletown.

Busuttin said the time was right to return to New Zealand.

"I've been winding down my operation in Singapore for the last couple of years with the view to returning to New Zealand," he said.

"It's always been my ambition to have a small team back home and enjoy it."

He said the main focus would be to have horses good enough to take to the Australian carnivals.

Already some of his old owners had offered him horses to train once he returns.

Busuttin will be based at Cambridge in the Waikato.

He bought a 10ha property there a couple of years ago and more recently bought a stable block adjacent to the Cambridge training track in partnership with his son, Trent, who plans to become a trainer.

Busuttin said he intended to train about 15 horses at a time.

His training operations in New Zealand will be complemented by his move into breeding horses.

Busuttin had a A$750,000 return for Redoute's Choice filly from Heavenly Night at the Sydney Easter Yearling Sales this year.

"My wife Brenda and I own five broodmares and we want to get into it commercially, so this has given us a great start," he said.

Heavenly Night, who was purchased by the Busuttins from England, currently has a Redoute's Choice weanling filly.

- NZPA