White Robe Lodge got a taste of just about everything over the weekend.
The training and breeding arms of the North Taieri equine operation scored successes from as close to home as Riverton and as far away as Sydney.
That was more than evident when trainers Brian and Shane Anderton-prepared Gold Leaf to win the Great Western Hurdles.
Before the victory there was despair as the stable's chances in the race took a nose-dive - literally - when Gold Leaf's stablemate, Akal, fell and took down race favourite Delacroix midway through the race.
The winning Gold Leaf has bigger fences on his agenda this season, according to Brian Anderton.
''Hopefully, we have a look at a steeplechase with him down the track. He will run here in the Otago Hurdles and then he will look to get over country.''
Gold Leaf and rider Aaron Kuru sat in midfield for the first half of the event before moving up before the turn and running away to a four-length victory.
''I was really really pleased with him; he has got a future,'' Anderton said.
While White Robe sire Gallant Guru notched success with Gold Leaf, fellow resident stallion Raise The Flag captured transtasman success on Saturday a day on which Kiwis otherwise struggled across the Tasman.
Firstly at Morphettville, Raise The Flag
produced Parthesia to run second to Ana Royale in the group 3 TAB Fillies Classic. Raise The Flag was also represented by Unfurl, who ran third to Time To Test in the listed Port Adelaide Cup, earlier on the programme.
The stallion bettered placings by siring the winner of the JB Cummings Hall Of Fame Handicap at Rosehill with the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Broadside.
While Raise The Flag was kicking goals in Adelaide and Sydney, Kiwi raiders were failing to flatter at the Brisbane winter carnival.
The Lance O'Sullivan trained Sound Proposition was no match for The Kris Lees-trained Sense Of Occasion in the group 1 Doomben Cup. Te Akau galloper Splurge then went on to run last when favourite for the group 3 BRC Sprint.
The Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore yesterday was won by Cloud Computing and rider Javier Castellano for New York trainer Chad Brown.
Favourite Always Dreaming's triple crown hopes were dashed after the Kentucky Derby winner faded to eighth after racing on the pace.
-By Jonny Turner
