Racing: Foal or the cup? A win either way

A pregnant Ears Carol and White Robe Lodge stud manager Wayne Stewart take a stroll at North...
A pregnant Ears Carol and White Robe Lodge stud manager Wayne Stewart take a stroll at North Taieri. Inset, Who Shot Thebarman. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
Who Shot Thebarman might be in the biggest race of his life today, but his North Taieri-based ''mum'' likely has more important matters on her mind.

Ears Carol, a 14-year-old mare, is due to foal any day at White Robe Lodge, while her third foal - Who Shot Thebarman - lines up in the $6.7million Melbourne Cup at Flemington at 5pm today.

And when the 6-year-old gelding heads down the long Flemington straight in the dash for glory, Ears Carol will probably be munching away on grass in a paddock - or foaling.

Ears Carol is no stranger to giving birth - she has done it six times.

Who Shot Thebarman's ''father'', Yamanin Vital, was the sire four times, Gallant Guru popped up once to do the job, as did Nom du Jeu.

Last December, it was the turn of the stud's promising sire Raise The Flag.

Who Shot Thebarman looks the best of the offspring so far, and is proving popular with patriotic Kiwi punters, who have placed bets on the Chris Waller-trained stayer to return at least $500,000.

White Robe Lodge stud manager Wayne Stewart knows what it is like to have a runner in the Melbourne Cup.

Mr Stewart and his wife Karen bred the last horse reared in Otago to make it to the biggest race in Australia, when Envoy ran seventh in the 2005 Melbourne Cup.

He is thrilled one of the 23 contenders in this year's cup (Sea Moon was scratched yesterday) started life on the lush paddocks of the Taieri Plain.

''It's just good for our whole breeding industry down here - it keeps your name to the fore,'' Mr Stewart said.

The gallant grey stayer Baghdad Note, bred on the Taieri, won the 1970 race, and 1989 winner Tawrrific was the product of former White Robe Lodge sire Tawfiq.

''It's a great achievement for a wee area when you consider the numbers we breed to what they do in Australia and the North Island.''

The Stewarts, who look after the breeding operation for Mrs Stewart's parents, Brian and Lorraine Anderton, will be at Wingatui today, where they have two runners - Include and Avow - racing.

Meanwhile, Ears Carol will be mooching around the paddock.

Maybe she will be hoping her lad can do the job today - especially if she overheard Mr Stewart's offer of a reward if Who Shot Thebarman wins: ''She might get a few oats,'' he laughed.

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