Ghibellines heads White Robe Lodge’s roster
WELLINGTON: Brian and Lorraine Anderton’s White Robe Lodge will again present a strong roster of four stallions featuring the proven trio of Ghibellines, Raise The Flag and Gallant Guru, while the impeccably credentialed Ancient Spirit will cover his second book of mares.
On the back of a successful season that has featured five individual stakes winners, Ghibellines will stand for $8000 plus GST.
The son of Shamardal operates at 5.9% stakes winners to runners, with his progeny winning over a variety of distances.
They are group 2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile winner Markus Aurelius, multiple southern Guineas winner Palmetto, proven sprinter Live Drama, laststart listed Warstep Stakes winner Burgie and talented stayer Smokin’ Romans, who won the listed Pakenham Cup in a campaign that netted five wins.
“He has really established himself now,” stud manager Wayne
Stewart said.
“This season he has had stakesperforming 2yrolds, citywinning 2yrolds, quality 3yrolds like Palmetto and Burgie and older horses like Smokin’ Romans and Markus Aurelius.
“He is leaving horses that win at all ages and all distances now. He is not just a onedimensional sire. He is a good allround sire that leaves good fillies, colts and geldings.
“We are renowned for breeding mainly stayers but they are obviously maturing a bit quicker and going on with it.
“He has had five stakes winners this season in Australasia plus a further three stakesplaced.
“They have been quite sought after and have been selling for good money off the track and he has had seven winners from nine runners in Australia.”
Ancient Spirit will again stand for $7,000 plus GST after a good reception in his inaugural season at stud.
By champion sire Invincible Spirit, from the twotime winning Galileo mare Assisi, Ancient Spirit was a multiple group 2 winner and was the champion 3yrold miler in both Italy and Germany in 2018.
“He got probably as good quality book of mares of any new stallion we have ever stood,” Stewart said.
“He got most of his mares in foal and he covered the likes of Inferno, Include and Coulee, plus other groupwinning mares and stakes producing mares. He has got every chance.
“He is a really goodlooking athletic horse as we have come to expect from Invincible Spirit and being out of a Galileo mare, who is out of a Monsun mare, he is just a perfect mix for our broodmares and what we breed.”
Raise The Flag will stand at an unchanged fee of $6,000 plus GST, as the son of Sadler's Wells and Hasili continues to produce quality stayers.
“His pedigree is phenomenal and he is a proven source of stayers. He has sired 31 winners from 38 runners in Australia,” Stewart said.
A halfbrother to five group 1 winners, Raise The Flag has sired the likes of group 1 Sydney Cup winner Etah James through to last week’s Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeplechase hero Heberite and recently retired jumping star Ablaze.
Associate stallion Gallant Guru, a son of Montjeu and sire of 12 stakes performers, will stand for $2000 plus GST.
“We are giving people access to the best bloodlines in the world. You have got Shamardal, Invincible Spirit, Sadler's Wells and Montjeu right at your back door step for great value,” Stewart said.
“We want to breed classic and middledistance horses that can go on and be good, sound racehorses over multiple seasons that people can enjoy racing.” — NZ Racing Desk