''Melbourne next year!''
That was the quip from co-trainer Brian Anderton after Serve De Aunt's upset victory at Wingatui yesterday.
The nod was obvious - Serve De Aunt's half-brother, Who Shot Thebarman - bred by Anderton and his wife, Lorraine - was on show at Flemington racecourse yesterday, finishing an absolutely massive fifth after settling near-last in the Melbourne Cup in his third crack at the great race.
''That was a humongous run, I thought,'' Anderton said.
''He came off the back of them but when they straightened up he was still in the last two or three, so it was a great run.''
And the number 5 was as appropriate as you could get when it came to the White Robe Lodge training team prepared by Anderton and his son, Shane, with five winners on yesterday's 10-race card.
Serve The Aunt got the outstanding day started in race 5 and was soon followed by Waylay (race 6), Tommy Tucker (race 8), Willow (race 9) and Gallant Ruby (race 10).
Stable apprentice Jacob Lowry rode four of the winners - double his previous best on a day - and loyal stable jockey Shankar Muniandy steered home Waylay.
It was also another cracking afternoon at the office for White Robe Lodge resident sire Gallant Guru, who sired the last four of the quintet of winners plus Somethings Burning in race 3.
Back to Serve De Aunt, though. The Nom du Jeu mare's win over 1600m yesterday was her first so a trip to Flemington might still be very much a pipe dream, but Anderton has plenty of time for the 4yr-old.
''She's a mare I hold in pretty high regard.''
Waylay was the next to score for the White Robe Lodge team, after showing some promise as a 3yr-old last season.
''She was in those Guineas races, and went some really good races,'' Shane Anderton said.
''Her form this time in has been really good.''
The stable will now look for a race for Waylay at New Zealand Cup week.
Tommy Tucker's win in the $30,000 open handicap over 1400m was the perfect trial for next week's Coupland's Mile - although it was almost too perfect.
The 8yr-old came into yesterday's feature with 98 rating points, and all eyes will turn to the New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing handicapping department to see how close his re-rating takes him to the potential Coupland's Mile top-weight Ringo, who is rated at 102.
''I hope he doesn't give us any more than a point but we'll wait and see,'' Brian Anderton said.
''He won't have won as much money as a lot of horses in the field that are under him. It's just a shame that you get re-handicapped the same for South Island form as North Island form.''
Regardless of the re-rating, yesterday's race was an ideal preparation ahead of his crack at the $230,000 group 2 race.
''Hopefully that race will top him up and being at the back door will be a lot easier on him - he'll be at home relaxing in another half an hour or so.''
Brian Anderton was typically understated as he reflected on the day after race 8, when three wins were in the bag.
''We've got a nice team of horses around us and thankfully they're by our own sires, too.''
