Notable double with White Robe Lodge-bred horses

Ready Eddie gave the Knight family of Palmerston North their second major jumping race win this winter with a horse bred at White Robe Lodge when successful in the $75,000 New Zealand Grand National Hurdles at Riccarton on Wednesday (9/8/2017).

The Knights also won the $50,000 Manawatu Steeplechase at Trentham in June with The Oysterman.  Ready Eddie and The Oysterman were both ridden by Waikato jockey Hamish McNeill. Both horses were bred by Brian and Lorraine Anderton and sold as 2yr-olds at the South Island sale. Ready Eddie and The Oysterman are both by the deceased WRL sire Yamanin Vital and out of mares by Personal Escort, who stood at the North Taieri stud. Yamanin Vital has also sired GN Hurdles winners Counter Punch (2007) and Yourtheman (2007); Who Shot Thebarman (Auckland Cup and Zipping Classic, third Melbourne Cup), Cut The Cake (NZ Derby), Cluden Creek (Wellington Cup), Trebla (NZ Cup), Hypnotize (Great Northern Steeplechase three times) and Upper Cut (NZ Grand National Steeplechase).

Yamanin Vital (by Sir Tristram) won five races in Japan and ran 1.59.6 for 2000m. He was imported by WRL in 1997 and died in October, 2009.

Ready Eddie, also winner of the 2016 Waikato Hurdles, is owned and trained by Laura Knight, who races the 9yr-old with her father, Gary, an ex-All Black. She bought Ready Eddie for $15,000 in 2010. He is the only registered foal of Tawnce, who won on the flat, hurdles (Oamaru and Wingatui) and over country (3300m at Waimate). Tawnce was later given away by Brian Anderton to breed show jumpers.

Tawnce is out of Tawquette (by Tawfiq) and traces to Excellency, winner of the 1949 NZ Cup.

Laura is the partner of Stephen Nickalls, the trainer and part-owner of The Oysterman, whom he races with Gary and his son, Ollie Knight. Laura bought The Oysterman for $13,000.

Gary and his wife, Wendy, have Zakharova at WRL. The Daggers Drawn mare is due to foal to Gallant Guru.

WRL trainers Brian and Shane Anderton produced Jackfrost for a nine length win in his first start over hurdles at Riccarton on Wednesday. They took over Jackfrost for a jumping career this year. He won five races in the lower North Island when trained at Levin by David Haworth for a group of owners who bought him cheaply as a maiden from the late Phil Bayly, of Tauranga.

The son of Gallant Guru - Vital Note (by Yamanin Vital) bred by Brian and Lorraine was originally sold out of the paddock as yearling to Bayly. Jackfrost had another change of ownership this year and he is now raced by the Frosty's Shoutin The Beers syndicate.