Stellar season for White Robe Lodge

White Robe Lodge had record stake earnings for the training operation and the leading South Island-based sire for the 2016 -17 season which ended on July 31.

Brian and Shane Anderton amassed $916,627 in stakes with horses they trained, surpassing the $676,417 of last season according to figures published by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing. They won 48 races, their best tally since 55 in 2000-01.

The WRL- trained Tommy Tucker was the top stake earner for the stable with $155,925. He won the group three $100,000 Canterbury Gold Cup and the listed races, the Easter Cup and Timaru Cup. His stablemates Coulee, Raise You Ten and Patrick Erin were stakes winners for WRL. Coulee won the gr three White Robe Lodge Handicap and gr three South Island Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes; Raise You Ten won the listed Gore Guineas and Patrick Erin the listed Riverton Cup.

Gallant Guru was the leading SI-based sire with 25 winners of 50 races and $970,598. He was eleventh on the NZ list. He is the sire of Tommy Tucker, Coulee and Patrick Erin. Gallant Guru had an outstanding season, siring first and second placings and three to four winners on a race day on more than one occasion.

Fellow WRL sire Raise The Flag is the sire of Raise You Ten, winner of the Gore Guineas.

Raise The Flag sired 17 individual winners of 28 races and $458,784 in NZ. He was also prominent in Australia, siring Parthesia, winner of the listed Tasmanian Oaks and runner up in the St Leger at Flemington and South Australia Classic at Morphettville. Raise The Flag sired other winners in Australia including Unfurl (Caulfield), Broadside (Rosehill), Chequered Flag, Yogi, Golden Flag and Ubin Thunderstruck. Golden Flag and Ubin Thunderstruck have both won their last two starts. Both are in the stable of leading Australian trainer Darren Weir, who has Parthesia, Unfurl and Yogi.

Jacob Lowry, who is indentured to Brian Anderton, was the leading SI apprentice with 48 wins. He reached a century for his career at Ashburton on July 7.

Lowry rode Tommy Tucker in his wins and Coulee in the Breeders' Stakes. Stable jockeys Courtney Barnes and Shankar Muniandy rode Raise You Ten and Patrick Erin respectively. Stable apprentice Corey Campbell had his first win when he rode Perceptive at Wingatui in May.

"The wins of Tommy Tucker, Coulee and Patrick Erin were a highlight. We are very fortunate to have horses like that in the stable," said Brian Anderton.

Shane expressed the same sentiment: "It was great for Tommy Tucker to win a group three; Coulee had a great season and so did Patrick Erin. They all stepped up."

WRL was the leading vendor at the NZ Bloodstock South Island series of the National yearling sales in April when selling 12 lots for $234,000, an average of $19,500 with a top price of $40,000 for a Raise The Flag - Flyby colt.

Wayne Stewart, the stud manager said the arrival of the first foals of the WRL sire Ghibellines in the spring of 2016 was a highlight.

"They were big athletic foals with good temperament and they weaned well. I am looking forward to taking them to the yearling sales," he said.

"Gallant Guru had a great season and Raise The Flag is now doing the job we expected by leaving nice staying horses."