Ghibellines heads White Robe roster

[Wandering Eyes]

Brian and Lorraine Anderton’s White Robe Lodge will again present a strong roster of four stallions featuring the proven trio of Ghibellines, Raise The Flag and Gallant Guru, while the impeccably credentialed Ancient Spirit will cover his second book of mares.

On the back of a successful season that has featured five individual stakes winners, Ghibellines will stand for $8,000+GST.

The son of Shamardal operates at 5.9 percent stakes winners to runners, with his progeny winning over a variety of distances. They include Gr.2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile winner Markus Aurelius, multiple Southern Guineas winner Palmetto, proven sprinter Live Drama, last-start Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m) winner Burgie and talented stayer Smokin’ Romans, who won the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) in a campaign that netted five wins.

“He has really established himself now,” Stud Manager Wayne Stewart said.

“This season he has had stakes performing two-year-olds, city winning two-year-olds, quality three-year-olds like Palmetto and Burgie and older horses like Smokin’ Romans and Markus Aurelius.

“He is leaving horses that win at all ages and all distances now. He is not just a one dimensional sire, he is a good all-round sire that leaves good fillies, colts and geldings.

“We are renowned for breeding mainly stayers but they are obviously maturing a bit quicker and going on with it.

“He has had five stakes winners this season in Australasia plus a further three stakes-placed.

“They have been quite sought-after and have been selling for good money off the track and he has had seven winners from nine runners in Australia.”

Ancient Spirit will again stand for $7,000+GST after a good reception in his inaugural season at stud.

By champion sire Invincible Spirit, from the two-time winning Galileo mare Assisi, Ancient Spirit was a multiple Group Two winner and was the champion three-year-old miler in both Italy and Germany in 2018.

“He got probably as good quality book of mares of any new stallion we have ever stood,” Stewart said.

“He got most of his mares in foal and he covered the likes of Inferno, Include and Coulee, plus other Group winning mares and stakes producing mares. He has got every chance.

“He is a really good-looking athletic horse as we have come to expect from Invincible Spirit and being out of a Galileo mare, who is out of a Monsun mare, he is just a perfect mix for our broodmares and what we breed.”

Raise The Flag will stand at an unchanged fee of $6,000+GST, with the son of Sadler’s Wells and blue-hen mare Hasili continuing to produce quality stayers.

“His pedigree is phenomenal and he is a proven source of stayers, he has sired 31 winners from 38 runners in Australia,” Stewart said.

A half-brother to five Group One winners Raise The Flag has sired the likes of Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m) winner Etah James through to last week’s Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m) hero Heberite and recently retired jumping star Ablaze.

“Ciaron Maher said the Grand Annual was the premium race on the calendar for him, so when you have got guys like that so passionate about it, it is great for the industry and for the breed,” Stewart said.

Associate stallion Gallant Guru, a son of Montjeu and sire of 12 stakes performers, will stand for $2,000+GST.

“We are giving people access to the best bloodlines in the world. You have got Shamardal, Invincible Spirit, Sadler’s Wells and Montjeu right at your back door step for great value,” Stewart said.

“We want to breed classic and middle distance horses that can go on and be good, sound racehorses over multiple seasons that people can enjoy racing.”

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