Coulee wins the Gp.3 White Robe Lodge Handicap
In 1950 Brian Anderton ONZM rode his first winner, the horse was White Robe, six years later he named his stud farm and training establishment White Robe Lodge after the same mare.
In the early seventies he sponsored a race at Wingatui the home of the Otago Racing Club and named it the White Robe Lodge Stakes and every year since then he has sponsored that race, making him the longest sponsor of anytime of a race in New Zealand.
This year the 2017 Group Three White Robe Lodge Handicap will go down in the history books as the year Brian Anderton sponsored, owned, trained and bred the first and second horse home in the race when Coulee (Gallant Guru[AUS]- Cherry Creek) beat Tommy Tucker (Gallant Guru[AUS]-Lady Vital).
"It was a day that you dream about," said Anderton, "it's such a thrill for all of us involved with the stud to win this race."
"This is the fourth time I have trained the winner of this race, but I have never managed to get the quinella before. I started sponsoring this race when I had Mellay back in the seventies, we train at Wingatui and I am still on the committee, so it's pretty special."
Previously Anderton had trained A Gordon For Me (Le Gran Seigneur[CAN]-Marjie Jay) to win in 1992 and 1993 and for good measure he was placed twice in the race after that as well. Perceptible (Personal Escort[USA]-Auricle) was his next winner when she won the race in 2002.
Coulee is raced by Brian and Lorraine along with a large syndicate of owners who were all on course to share in the celebrations. She has now won eight races, and this is her second Stakes win following a win in the Group Three Valachi Downs South Island Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes last April. She will head to that race again before she goes out for a spell.
Ian Nicol shares in the ownership of Tommy Tucker with Brian and Lorraine, and the veteran galloper had to carry six kilos more than his younger stablemate. A tough campaigner his last start produced a win in the Listed Timaru Cup and that was his 13th career win.
Both Coulee and Tommy Tucker are by White Robe Lodge's resident sire Gallant Guru(AU) a son of Montjeu (IRE) who won eight races in Australia before retiring to stud in 2008. He is also the sire of the Listed winners Include and Ortem Fire, both now resident broodmares at White Robe Lodge.
Coulee is the first foal of the Monashee Mountain(USA) mare Cherry Creek, a winner of eight races including the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes for Anderton.
Her second foal is Flagstaff a lightly three-year-old by the White Robe stallion Raise The Flag (GB) in work with Mark Brooks, and her two-year-old filly was purchased by Neil Ridley.
"I am happy to see the other foals go into good stables, I am sure it will help the family, we have a yearling Showcasing(GB) filly at the moment, which is very like her mother and the mare is in foal to Per Incanto(ARG)," he added.
"I bought Coulee's grandmother Stage Flash(AUS) at the Magic Million sale on the Gold Coast a few years ago and left her there to be served by Monashee Mountain before I bought her home. I wanted a mare from the Stage Hit family, actually I have bought quite a few from that family as I think it crosses well with our sires."
Stage Flash(AUS) is by Lake Coniston(IRE) and won two races, she is the dam of three other winners besides Cherry Creek. She is a daughter of Stage Show (AUS) (Pax In Bello[USA]-Oh Calcutta[AUS]) who won two races, and she in turn is a half-sister to Stage Hit (by Century[AUS])who was the Champion two-year-old filly of her year and a multiple Stakes producer.
Indian Raj a full brother to Stage Hit, was a Group Two winner of six races and enjoyed a successful stud career. - Michelle Saba
In the early seventies he sponsored a race at Wingatui the home of the Otago Racing Club and named it the White Robe Lodge Stakes and every year since then he has sponsored that race, making him the longest sponsor of anytime of a race in New Zealand.
This year the 2017 Group Three White Robe Lodge Handicap will go down in the history books as the year Brian Anderton sponsored, owned, trained and bred the first and second horse home in the race when Coulee (Gallant Guru[AUS]- Cherry Creek) beat Tommy Tucker (Gallant Guru[AUS]-Lady Vital).
"It was a day that you dream about," said Anderton, "it's such a thrill for all of us involved with the stud to win this race."
"This is the fourth time I have trained the winner of this race, but I have never managed to get the quinella before. I started sponsoring this race when I had Mellay back in the seventies, we train at Wingatui and I am still on the committee, so it's pretty special."
Previously Anderton had trained A Gordon For Me (Le Gran Seigneur[CAN]-Marjie Jay) to win in 1992 and 1993 and for good measure he was placed twice in the race after that as well. Perceptible (Personal Escort[USA]-Auricle) was his next winner when she won the race in 2002.
Coulee is raced by Brian and Lorraine along with a large syndicate of owners who were all on course to share in the celebrations. She has now won eight races, and this is her second Stakes win following a win in the Group Three Valachi Downs South Island Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes last April. She will head to that race again before she goes out for a spell.
Ian Nicol shares in the ownership of Tommy Tucker with Brian and Lorraine, and the veteran galloper had to carry six kilos more than his younger stablemate. A tough campaigner his last start produced a win in the Listed Timaru Cup and that was his 13th career win.
Both Coulee and Tommy Tucker are by White Robe Lodge's resident sire Gallant Guru(AU) a son of Montjeu (IRE) who won eight races in Australia before retiring to stud in 2008. He is also the sire of the Listed winners Include and Ortem Fire, both now resident broodmares at White Robe Lodge.
Coulee is the first foal of the Monashee Mountain(USA) mare Cherry Creek, a winner of eight races including the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes for Anderton.
Her second foal is Flagstaff a lightly three-year-old by the White Robe stallion Raise The Flag (GB) in work with Mark Brooks, and her two-year-old filly was purchased by Neil Ridley.
"I am happy to see the other foals go into good stables, I am sure it will help the family, we have a yearling Showcasing(GB) filly at the moment, which is very like her mother and the mare is in foal to Per Incanto(ARG)," he added.
"I bought Coulee's grandmother Stage Flash(AUS) at the Magic Million sale on the Gold Coast a few years ago and left her there to be served by Monashee Mountain before I bought her home. I wanted a mare from the Stage Hit family, actually I have bought quite a few from that family as I think it crosses well with our sires."
Stage Flash(AUS) is by Lake Coniston(IRE) and won two races, she is the dam of three other winners besides Cherry Creek. She is a daughter of Stage Show (AUS) (Pax In Bello[USA]-Oh Calcutta[AUS]) who won two races, and she in turn is a half-sister to Stage Hit (by Century[AUS])who was the Champion two-year-old filly of her year and a multiple Stakes producer.
Indian Raj a full brother to Stage Hit, was a Group Two winner of six races and enjoyed a successful stud career. - Michelle Saba
