Six winners for White Robe Lodge sires

Six winners by White Robe Lodge sires and three trained by WR was the haul at Melbourne Cup day meetings on Tuesday (3/11/15). Gallant Guru sired four successive winners, Go Solo, Gallant Defender, Koxinga and Coulee at Wingatui and Jackfrost, who was successful at Otaki. Raise The Flag sired the dashing Wingatui maiden winner, Cristallo.

Gallant Defender, Coulee and Cristallo are in the WR stable.  Gallant Defender prevailed in a rating 65 $17,500 1400m despite rider Shankar Muniandy losing his whip near the 100m. His part-owner, Diana Duff Staniland made the trip from Wellington to see him race. She shares ownership with her son-in-law, Dean Lawrence, the immediate past-president of the Otago Racing Club.

Coulee, who had not raced for six months, made the pace and came again after being headed in the run home to win  a $17,500 rating 65 1200m for the Two Shoes, Diamond, White Flash and Woolshed Wednesday syndicates, who races her with Brian and Lorraine Anderton.

Cristallo,raced by the Progressive, Diamond and Woolshed Wednesday syndicates with Brian and Lorraine, was most impressive winning a 1600m maiden at her seventh start. A 4yr-old ex Clear As A Bell (by Personal Escort), she was slow away in a 15-horse field and cleared out in the closing stages by three lengths.

Koxinga, owned and trained by Wayne Humphries, posted his fourth win from six starts.

The Terry Kennedy-trained Go Solo is raced by breeder Sally Stewart, of Dunedin. Go Solo is a 4yr-old mare and the first foal of Fly Solo, a daughter of Personal Escort who was trained by BJ and Shane and won 6 races.   Also in the pedigree is Solo Star, who won five races when raced by Miss Stewart's mother, Margaret. Solo Star was a half sister to Solo Flight, who won six races.

WR trainers Brian and Shane Anderton had been on the mark at Gore four days earlier with two fresh up winners, Quartet in a $12,000 races for mares and fillies and Blue 'N' Gold. It was the seventh win for Gallant Guru mare, Blue 'N' Gold. WR jockey Shankar Muniandy and apprentices Jacob Lowry and Courtney Barnes have all been in winning form the past week.