Group one success for White Robe Lodge

The win of Who Shot The Barman in the group one $A2 million Sydney Cup at Randwick on Saturday (7/4/2018) was a massive bonus for his breeders Brian and Lorraine Anderton, principals of White Robe Lodge.

"It was an achievement for our little stud to have two runners in the race let alone win," said Brian. Their other representative Patrick Erin (by Gallant Guru) finished sixth.

Who Shot The Barman (Yamanin Vital - Ears Carol) is now a group one winner on both sides of the Tasman, his Sydney Cup win as a 9yr-old complementing his win in the gr one 2014 Auckland Cup (3200m) as a 5yr-old. He has contested 22 gr one races and also gained 10 minor placings, including a  second and fourth in Sydney Cups and a third in the 2014 Melbourne Cup. The $A1,160,000 first prize in the Sydney Cup boosted his stake earnings to $4,543,946, the bulk of that amount from the Randwick stable of Chris Waller. Who Shot The Barman has won 11 of his 51 starts for owners, the O'Leary family of Wanganui. His other major wins are the gr two Zipping Classic at Sandown, the gr 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup, gr three Bart Cummings at Flemington and gr 2 Avondale Cup.

Yamanin Vital stood at WRL until his death in October, 2009. He has also sired winners of the New Zealand Cup (Trebla) and Wellington Cup (Cluden Creek), both over 3200m and a NZ Derby (Cut The Cake).

The O'Leary brothers bought Who Shot The Barman sight unseen as a yearling, selected out of the paddock by WRL stud manager Wayne Stewart.

The O'Learys wanted a progeny of Yamanin Vital. Their neighbours, Mark and Raymond Connors, had raced the son of Yamanin Vital, Hypnotize, winner of the Great Northern Steeplechase- Pakuranga Hunt Cup double in 2007, 08 and 2010.

Who Shot The Barman is  the third foal of Ears Carol, an unraced mare by Carolingian - Auditive and tracing to Lochlisten, whom the Andertons began breeding from 49 years ago when she was 18. Lochlisten (Balloch - Listen In) was a sister to Harken, the first successful stallion venture for Brian Anderton who bought him for 100 pounds in 1955. Lochlisten left winners Attentive, Cock Your Ear, Charlar and San Mellay. Attentive left 12 foals, among them Treaura, the granddam of Prized Gem (2002 Brisbane Cup and Kelt Capital Stakes) and dam of Nom du Jeu, winner of the Australian Derby.

Nom de Jeu is the  sire of Serve De Aunt, a daughter of Ears Carol.  Serve De Aunt, a winner for the Andertons in November, 2016, has been retained for breeding. She is in foal to Shocking, winner of the 2009 Melbourne Cup.

Ears Carol, now 17, had her most recent foal  in 2016, a colt by Ghibellines.

Chequered Flag (Raise The Flag - Star Of Mulwala), bred by Shane and Sharyn Anderton, won a $A100,000 race over 2030m at Morphettville on Saturday. It was the fifth win for the Darren Weir-trained Chequered Flag.