Feature steeple winner bred at WRL

The Oysterman, winner of the $50,000 Manawatu Steeplechase at Trentham on Saturday (17/6/2017) was bred at White Robe Lodge by Brian and Lorraine Anderton. The Oysterman is by Yamanin Vital  and the first of five foals left by Clear As A Bell, a Personal Escort mare out of Auditory (13 wins). Clear As A Bell traces to Lochlisten (by Balloch), a mare bought by Brian and Lorraine some 50 years ago.

Doctor Care, by Gallant Guru from Clear As A Bell has won six races, including a $90,000 2000m at Caulfield in April. Messines, a brother to Doctor Care, won three. Cristallo, a Raise The Flag filly out of Clear As A Bell, won two races for the WRL stable. Cristallo is in foal to Ghibellines.

The Oysterman is trained at Awapuni by Stephen Nickalls, who races the 9yr-old with neighbours ex-All Black Gary Knight and his son, Ollie. Gary and his wife, Wendy, have Zakharova at WRL. The Daggers Drawn mare is in foal to Gallant Guru.

Laura Knight, daughter of Gary and Wendy and partner of Stephen, is the trainer of Ready Eddie, winner of the 2016 Waikato Hurdles and runner up in the Ken Browne Hurdles at Ellerslie at his last start. Ready Eddie (Yamanin Vital - Tawnce) was also bred at WRL.

The Oysterman ($13,000) and Ready Eddie ($15,000) were both purchased by Laura Knight at the South Island sale.