I haven't had a chance to see it yet, but by all accounts, a nice story on North Taieri's White Robe Lodge featured on Kiwi Bred on Trackside 1 this week as episode seven of the series.
It features a long interview with Brian Anderton about his history, along with a chat to stud manager Wayne Stewart about the operation and successful horses to come from White Robe Lodge over the years.
Wayne was pleased with how the programme was put together and - by coincidence - the episode also features an interview with ex-White Robe Lodge worker and former University of Otago student Vicky Leonard, who now works at Arrowfield Stud in Australia.
The last three screenings are at 7am today, 11pm on Sunday and 6am on Monday.
Mistaken identity - again
Poor old Magnus Williamson. Not only does he have the misfortune of regularly being mistaken for his brother, Phil - the trotting trainer from Oamaru - whenever he visits race meetings around Otago and Southland, but now the press is getting into the act, and skipping generations for that matter.
I mentioned early last week that Hengroen, who finished fifth on debut at Gore on Saturday, was part-owned by Phil and Matthew Williamson and Alan Mason.
Not quite. Magnus is actually the M J Williamson in the ownership, even if he shares the same initials with his nephew.
Give 'em an inch . . .
It's safe to say 90% of harness racing fans will be glad to see the back of the mile start point for the New Zealand free-for-all at Addington on Show Day. The New Zealand Metropolitan club has relented to pressure from horsemen and the group 1 race - three days after the New Zealand Cup - will now start from the 1950m start point.
Fair play to the club for giving it a crack, but as others have said, starting on a corner was creating an unfair advantage for the horses who drew the inside barriers, even if Pembrook Benny won from barrier 10 last year.
Lazy Fiver
I picked the wrong John and Karen Parsons runner in race 1 at Riccarton on October 4, although the winner Locket paid $2.40 - too short for the Lazy Fiver, anyway. My selection of Southern Power was back in sixth. Moving on... I think it's time for All Cash to dip his hoof in the till in race 11 at Methven on Sunday.
