The North Taieri equine establishment’s trainers, Brian and Shane Anderton, scored five training wins, all sired by White Robe Lodge stallions Gallant Guru and Raise The Flag and ridden by their stable riders Courtney Barnes, Shankar Muniandy, Corey Campbell and Jacob Lowry, who scored on two of their winners.
Campbell scored his first riding victory with a perfectly timed finish on Perceptive in race 8 to bring up White Robe Lodge’s haul of five wins.
Campbell was confident Perceptive had got her nose in front of runner-up Lord Sibsford on the line and was thrilled when their win was confirmed.
"She got a dream run through on the corner and she just kept digging to the line."
Getting his first win on a horse for his employers made the win special, Campbell said.
"BJ has been a big supporter of me," he said.
Mr Corcoran died on Saturday and his funeral was held in Cromwell only 35 minutes after Taieri Gem ran to victory yesterday.
Mr Corcoran had a big involvement in racing during his 86 years and raced a long list of horses, a number of which were in syndicates.
Those at Wingatui yesterday who knew Mr Corcoran, who lived at Waikaka before moving to Cromwell, described him as a kind and generous community man.
Brian Anderton promised to win a race with Taieri Gem while Mr Corcoran was unwell before his death, and made good on that vow in Taieri Gem’s previous start, at Ascot Park earlier this month.
To deliver another with Taieri Gem with her rider carrying a black armband in recognition of Mr Corcoran’s passing was very special, Anderton said.
White Robe Lodge’s winning run started with Newsflash, which was too speedy for Johnny Jones in the run home in yesterday’s opening event.
Though it was his late burst of speed that got him home, it will be his stamina that will be tested in his upcoming assignments.
The 67-start veteran got up in his last stride to claim the fastest class race on the Wingatui programme for stable rider Jacob Lowry.
Newsflash has had one career start over hurdles and was likely to return to jumping in the near future, Brian Anderton said.
The horse, which Anderton describes as one of his favourites at White Robe Lodge, could resume his hurdling career as soon as next Sunday’s Wingatui meeting.
Anderton, who bred and races the Gallant Guru 8yr-old with his wife, Lorraine, said hurdling was an attractive option because while Newsflash was perfectly suited to racing in yesterday’s rating 85 company, he battled against the better open handicap horses.
"He is a bit of a favourite of mine — I like the big bugger," Brian Anderton said.
"We have got an option — there is an open sprint here next meeting or else there is a hurdle race. I would like to get him in a maiden hurdle."
Lowry later delivered the Anderton stable another when he sat Satin Guru off the pace before launching the horse with a finish that was too good for their rivals in race 6.
Fellow White Robe rider Shankar Muniandy got in on the winning action by guiding Waylay along the rail with a perfectly timed run to win race 4.
- Jonny Turner
