Racing

White Robe Lodge enjoy red letter day at Riccarton

Kevin Robertson

25 Apr 2026 — 2 min read

Bauble winning the Gr.3 Coca-Cola Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m). Photo: Race Images South

The Brian and Shane Anderton team and White Robe Lodge enjoyed a day for the ages at Riccarton on Saturday when they collected two of the three stakes features on the ANZAC Day card.

Underrated mare Inflamed (NZ) (Ghibellines) kicked off proceedings by running down race favourite Iron Hawk (Written Tycoon) to win the Listed Daphne Bannan Memorial Great Easter Stakes (1400m) before outsider Bauble (NZ) (Ghibellines) ($27) defied a muddling form line to storm home out wide and capture the Gr.3 Coca-Cola Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m).

Waikato-based jockey Courtney Barnes, who served her apprenticeship with the stable, made the trip south to partner the seven-year-old son of former White Robe Lodge stallion Ghibellines and made use of the gelding’s strong finishing burst to come from a clear last at the 600m to defeat home town favourite Matscot (NZ) (Haradasun), Loose Sally (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) and Royal Valour (NZ) (Belardo) in a blanket finish that saw seven runners virtually in a line 50m from the winning post.

Shane Anderton was struggling to take it all in shortly after the race.

“It’s pretty amazing,” Anderton said. “He was wide on the corner but travelling good. It took the whole length of the straight but he got there.

“It was a good, tough effort and he has really stepped up today. He has got better with time and we have had a lot of fun with him.”

Anderton also acknowledged the efforts of Barnes who began her journey as a jockey with their team.

“She was apprenticed to us and went right through the system with us,” he said. “It’s good to be able to get that one with her.”

Barnes was thrilled to pick up such a big win for her former mentors.

“It means a lot doing it for BJ and Shane as that was where it all began,” she said.

“He (Bauble) was quite relaxed out of the gates and after 200m I thought maybe I should have given him a dig. He started building from the half mile and really found the line.”

Bred and raced by Brian Anderton and his late wife Lorraine, Bauble is out of their Seasoned Star mare La Gem (NZ).

He has now won eight of his 35 starts and over $211,000 in prizemoney.

JJ Atkins on the radar for unbeaten Blind Raise

Expat New Zealand trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young have their sights set on the Queensland Winter Carnival after Blind Raise (NZ) (Ace High) added black type to his unbeaten record in Saturday’s A$175,000 Listed ANZAC Day Stakes (1400m) at Flemington. The Kiwi-bred son of Ace High

Khanshe storms to victory in Travis Stakes

Central Districts mare Khanshe (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) put an unlucky effort at her last start well behind her when she produced a strong finishing burst to claim her biggest career victory, the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. The Fraser Auret-prepared five-year-old had caught the eye

Six-length Flemington romp for Contributer filly

An exciting filly by former Mapperley Stud stallion Contributer was unearthed at Flemington on Saturday with Concord Connie’s (Contributer) stunning last-to-first demolition in the A$150,000 The Les Carlyon (1400m). The Benchmark 70 handicap was the third start for the Charlotte Littlefield-trained three-year-old, who ran second on debut

Drops Of God dominant in Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes

Exciting filly Drops Of God (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) proved to be too good for her rivals at Te Rapa on ANZAC Day when running out a dominant victor in the Gr.3 Windsor Park Stud Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained three-year-old had shown plenty of

Read more

JJ Atkins on the radar for unbeaten Blind Raise

Khanshe storms to victory in Travis Stakes

Six-length Flemington romp for Contributer filly

Drops Of God dominant in Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes