Cover image courtesy of Dan Himbrechts for AAP Photos
Since it was founded in 1956 by Brian Anderton, the respected Otago nursery has produced a long line of quality performers on both sides of the Tasman.
There was another new addition to that list on Saturday when Raise The Flag (GB) sired his first Group 1 winner – Etah James (NZ) in the Schweppes Sydney Cup.
“It was a great result and very exciting for us,” White Robe Lodge’s stud manager Wayne Stewart told TDN AusNZ. “It’s probably the biggest thrill we’ve had for quite a while.
“It’s all a bit surreal at the moment with the way that everyday life has changed. There’s not a whole lot to do, but having these races in Australia on a Saturday gives us something to look forward to, and yesterday was a very special day.
“It’s probably the biggest thrill we’ve had for quite a while. " - Wayne Stewart
“Going into the race, I thought it might be Raise the Flag’s best chance so far to sire a Group 1 winner. He had two runners in the race, with Yogi in the field as well.
“In the end it was a great performance by Etah James, and a Southland-bred horse finished second as well – The Chosen One for the Dennis brothers. So it was a wonderful result for the South Island, and for New Zealand.
“We also had another Sydney Cup win in 2018 with Who Shot Thebarman, who we bred and we used to stand the sire. And then there was the Metropolitan later that year, where Gallant Guru had his first Group 1 winner with Patrick Erin.
Etah James (NZ) was the first G1 winner for her sire, Raise The Flag (GB) | Image courtesy of Dan Hembrechts for AAP Photos
“These Sydney staying races have been very good for us in recent times, and it just keeps our name out there and shows the types of good staying horses that we can breed in our part of the world.”
Building on tradition
Raise The Flag joined the White Robe Lodge roster in 2010, and his service fee was $6000 in 2019.
He is by the legendary Sadler’s Wells (USA), who has become an extraordinary sire of sires through the likes of Galileo (Ire), High Chaparral (Ire) and Montjeu (Ire).
Following on from the same stallion selection principles that made White Robe Lodge a famous farm in the 1970s and 80s through the deeds of Mellay (GB) and Noble Bijou (GB), Raise The Flag has an incredibly rich family but didn't match the deeds of his siblings on the track.
His dam is the stakes-winning Hasili (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}) - one of only two mares in the world to produce five Group 1 winners (the other, of course, being kiwi mare Eight Carat (GB) (Pieces of Eight {GB}).
Hasili produced seven winners including the Group 1 winners Banks Hill (Ire) (Danehill {USA}), Intercontinental (GB) (Danehill {USA}), Cacique (Ire) (Danehill {USA}), Heat Haze (GB) (Green Desert {USA}) and Champs Elysees (GB) (Danehill {USA}). Meanwhile, Group 2 winner Dansili (GB) (Danehill {USA}) became a champion sire.
Injury prevented Raise The Flag from a significant racing career and he was retired after just one start.
Raise The Flag (GB) | Standing at White Robe Lodge
“If he hadn’t had that injury, he might not be standing at stud in New Zealand for a $6000 service fee,” Stewart said.
“The opportunity to stand him at stud came from Teddy Grimthorpe, the racing manager at Juddmonte. Earlier in his career, he spent some time in Australia working for Tommy Smith. That coincided with the career of Alibhai, a Group 1 winner that we bred. So he knew about us through that, and that’s how it all came about.
“Raise The Flag comes from an incredible family, the bloodlines are exceptional. He is now the only son of Hasili left at stud – Dansili has been retired, while Champs Elysees and Cacique have passed away.
“Raise The Flag comes from an incredible family, the bloodlines are exceptional." - Wayne Stewart
“White Robe Lodge has been built on stallions who might not have raced themselves, but have tremendous bloodlines, like Mellay and Noble Bijou. Now Raise The Flag is carrying on that tradition.”
Etah James comes from the first crop of foals by Raise The Flag, who has now sired a total of 72 winners from 209 runners with seven individual stakes winners.
He has enjoyed particular success in Australia with five stakes winners – Etah James, Broadside (NZ), Civil Disobedience (NZ), Parthesia (NZ) and Yogi (NZ).
“He’s had 29 runners in Australia for 22 winners including five at stakes level,” Stewart said. “It’s a phenomenal record.
Another of Raise The Flag's (GB) stakes winners, Yogi (NZ)
“In Australia, and particularly Melbourne, they’ve got a lovely number of races over 2400 and 2800 metres. Those are the types of races that really suit his progeny. He also sired the quinella in the Jericho Cup with Ablaze and Golden Flag.
“He just leaves lovely staying horses. In New Zealand, we have very few races beyond 2000 or 2200 metres, but they have much better opportunities in Australia.”
That was the thinking for Etah James’ owner-breeders, Mark and Cath Lupton and their long-time friends Terry Reid and Gary Howes.
Mark Lupton had previously raced Tickle (NZ) (Danasinga), who won the G3 BTC Labour Day Cup and Rotorua Challenge Plate.
He went to Karaka in May of 2011 for the New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale, where he paid $10,000 to buy Tickle’s full-sister Etah (NZ) (Danasinga). He also bought the same mare’s weanling foal by Savabeel for $3000.
That filly was named Amuse (NZ) and won two races, while Etah is the dam of four winners from four foals to race, headed by Etah James.
“They were looking to breed a stayer that could race in Australia, and they got an outstanding result from the mating with Raise The Flag,” Stewart said. “It’s a great cross, the Danehill-Sadler’s Wells cross. It’s produced a huge number of quality horses all around the world, and it’s the same cross as one of Raise The Flag’s other stakes winners, Parthesia.”
Etah James was sent to Victoria to begin her career with Matt Cumani, who trained her to win seven races, headed by the G3 Lord Reims S. and Listed Pakenham Cup.
Lupton himself trained the mare earlier this year, finishing third in the G2 Avondale Cup and fourth in the G1 Auckland Cup, before coronavirus protocols dictated that any Sydney Cup tilt would need to be in the care of an Australian trainer.
Lupton has indicated that Etah James may remain in training next season, especially with the prospect of a Melbourne Cup with diminished international involvement.
Meanwhile, Etah has subsequently produced the two-race winner Redeemer (NZ) (Niagara), the unraced 3-year-old Jesse James (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}), a 2-year-old colt by Alamosa (NZ) and a yearling colt by Raise The Flag. She is in foal to Valachi Downs’ new stallion U S Navy Flag (USA).
The team at White Robe Lodge are hoping that the feats of Etah James may provide some extra mares for Raise The Flag in the upcoming breeding season.
“We’ve learned that you’ve got to put the right mares to him,” Stewart said. “He’s only a small, neat horse himself, and he doesn’t suit all mares. But mares from the Danehill line seem to consistently produce lovely, good-sized horses. Hopefully that will continue.
"Mares from the Danehill line seem to consistently produce lovely, good-sized horses. Hopefully that will continue. " - Wayne Stewart
“We’ve sold a lot of his progeny off the farm to Australia in the last few years. There’s a lot of demand there for good stayers and jumpers.”
Gallant Guru, meanwhile, continues to churn out results. He is the sire of 106 winners from 186 runners, with six individual stakes winners.
Gallant Guru | Standing at White Robe Lodge
“He doesn’t get a lot of numbers these days, but he’s done a very good job for us over the years,” Stewart said. “He’s just been a solid bread-and-butter horse who’s left a lot of winners.”
The newest addition to the White Robe Lodge line-up is Ghibellines, who is ranked among the top five second-season sires in New Zealand.
A half-brother to multiple Group 1 winner Guelph (Exceed And Excel) and to the dam of Bivouac (Exceed And Excel), Ghibellines stands for a service fee of NZ$6000.
He has sired six winners to date, headed by Dunedin Guineas winner El Gladiador (NZ) and stakes-placegetters Live Drama (NZ) and Ranger (NZ). But he has also made a good impression with two winners in Australia.
“Ghibellines is the one we’re really excited about,” Stewart said. “He’s already had some impressive winners in Australia, including Who Shot Thebarman’s half-brother Ears The Barman, who won by 4l at Pakenham last week. Back home, he’s had a Guineas winner already.
“The signs are very promising, and hopefully he can go on with it from here. We’d love to see him follow in the footsteps of the others and become a Group 1-winning sire.”
Ghibellines
