White Robe Lodge took home a swag of awards at the South Island Thoroughbred Racing Awards over the weekend.
On the back of cleaning up all racing categories at the Otago Thoroughbred awards earlier this month, the North Taieri breeding and training operation claimed five awards at the South Island ceremony at Riccarton.
Otago's horse of the year, the Brian and Shane Anderton-trained Tommy Tucker, was crowned the South Island stayer of the year at the awards.
The Anderton-trained Coulee also secured her second award in weeks when she was crowned South Island miler of the year.
Brian and Shane Anderton were crowned trainers of the year and Jacob Lowry was recognised as the South Island's apprentice jockey of the year.
Brian and Lorraine Anderton took the White Robe tally to five awards by winning the owners of the year category.
Last season's 1000 Guineas winner, La Diosa, was crowned South Island horse of the year as well as the 3yr-old of the year.
Signify took sprinter of the year, Delacroix won the jumpers' title and Showemup was named southern filly of the year.
There were few surprises when Chris Johnson won the jockeys' award, while Stuart Higgins won the jumps riding title and Tina Comignaghi won the Ashlee Mundy memorial jockeys' choice award.
Inglewood Stud claimed all three breeding awards after it won breeder of the year and its stallion, Zacinto, won stallion of the year.
Stud mare Bequest, the dam of last season's 2000 Guineas winner, Ugo Foscolo, won the broodmare title.
**Reigning Caulfield Cup winning trainer Ciaron Maher has been suspended for six months and fined $75,000 after conceding he should have known that five horses he trained were actually owned a convicted conman, AAP reports.
The trainer did not know about Peter Foster's involvement but should have asked questions about the ownership bona fides of group 1 winner Azkadellia and four other horses, a tribunal heard.
Azkadellia, Little Bubulu, Loveable Rogue, Hart and Mr Simples were owned by Foster, but raced in the name of Maher's former racing manager, Ben Connolly.
Connolly confessed Foster was involved in the ownership of the horses, the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board heard yesterday.
Stewards' barrister Clifford Pannam QC said Maher did not know about Foster's involvement but should have asked questions.
``Mr Maher's failure to act facilitated the ongoing involvement of a notorious convicted criminal in the ownership of the horses,'' Pannam said.
