Stewart excited by Raise The Flag filly

Wayne Stewart.
Wayne Stewart.
A half-sister to Inferno and Ortem Fire has White Robe Lodge stud manager Wayne Stewart pretty excited about the South Island sale in Christchurch next week.

The rising 2yr-old filly by White Robe Lodge-based sire Raise The Flag is one of four youngsters the stud is taking to Christchurch for the sale.

''It's the first time we've offered a filly since we took Inferno to the South Island sale and brought her back home,'' Stewart said.

''It's a really good fillies' family. It's a great opportunity for someone to buy into a good family and a future broodmare.

''She's a lovely, well-balanced filly.''

The reputation of Emerald Fire - the mother of Inferno (10 wins), Ortem Fire (three wins) and the Raise The Flag filly - has been further enhanced thanks to the efforts of Cannyzing in Australia.

The Canny Lad gelding won at Murwillumbah and Eagle Farm this season in his 2yr-old year and went on to earn placings in listed races during the Brisbane winter carnival.

Cannyzing is out of Zigalong, who was Emerald Fire's fourth foal.

The family is further represented at the South Island sale with a Gallant Guru gelding out of Emerald Fire's third foal, Upclosenpersonal.

''He's the first foal out of the mare. He's got a lovely top line on him and he's a lovely, mature horse.

''He should create a bit of interest. There's been quite a few inquiries about both of them.

The other two White Robe Lodge 2yr-olds on offer are both geldings - a Raise The Flag out of Rubiette and a Gallant Guru out of Party Player.

''They're all well-grown and nice types. There is probably a bit more interest in the Raise The Flag being a first-season sire but the Party Player is a good type and a pretty good horse.''

Raise The Flag is certainly attracting attention after some success with his yearlings at the Karaka festival sale earlier this year.

''I took three bookings to him yesterday.

''He's going to do another good book of mares. All the reports are really good - it's all right us saying it, but he's doing the advertising himself with the word of mouth.

''But they've got to get on the track, and Monday morning's paper is what counts, isn't it?''

The South Island sale will be moved to April next year and Stewart believes the positives outweigh the negatives of the move.

''It wasn't really working with the August part. It had its good points, but the problem is a lot of them were unbroken,'' he said.

''Moving the date forward does open up a lot more doors. It means people will be able to get them home, get them broken in within the next month before the winter sets in. They then have options to take them on to the ready-to-run sales or race them as early 2yr-olds.

''The only real concern is the buying bench at that time of year because there are all the major sales in Sydney around then. Even though you wouldn't compete with a lot of those buyers, it's just whether you can get them over here.''

The sale mostly consists of 2yr-olds, with 75 going under the hammer, along with two broodmares and a Per Incanto yearling filly.

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