Exchange stars on Melbourne Cup Day

Exchange on form

By Jonny Turner 

The Central Otago sun awaits White Robe Lodge stable star Exchange following his victory at Wingatui on Melbourne Cup Day.

Exchange (Ghibellines-Swapping-Encosta De Lago) backed up his big fresh-up win in the Winton Cup with another strong effort over 1400m at one of Otago’s biggest annual meetings.

Two from two this time in, Exchange is building on the outstanding results he produced last time in which included a third in the Group Three White Robe Lodge Weight-For-Age.

As he works towards another crack at the Wingatui feature, it is clear that the horse is bigger and stronger with another year on him.

“I think he is stronger physically and mentally,” Brian Anderton said.

“The second horse was coming at him, but he hit the front quite fast and waited for them.”

“Once the second horse got to him he kicked again and it was a good effort carrying a decent weight.”

The Cromwell Cup and the Timaru Cup are the next targets on Exchange’s agenda.

“We will back off him now and get him ready for the Cromwell meeting.”

“That should work in well with going to the Timaru Cup.”

“He deserves a crack at a good race like that.”

The Andertons are no stranger to Timaru Cup success with Gallant Boy winning the race in 2020 and Tommy Tucker winning in 2015 and 2016.

Random Chance (1986), A Gordon For Me (1992), All Chance (1998) and Burton (2002) are also among the winners of the race White Robe Lodge has produced.

Brian and Lorraine Anderton raced Tommy Tucker with Ian Nicol.

Nicol and his wife Sue race Exchange in partnership with Ray and Alison Kean.

The two couples brought the galloper from White Robe Lodge at the 2018 South Island Sale.

Exchange continued what seems to be an endless run of winners for his sire Ghibellines with his victory on Melbourne Cup Day.

Just one day before the Melbourne Cup, Henry The Lion (Ghibellines-Smudgee-Yamanin Vital) made it back-to-back wins for trainer Richard Cully when scoring at Ballarat.

The White Robe Lodge bred galloper looks a promising stayer, having won three races with another three seconds in just 11 starts.

Henry The Lion was purchased out of the White Robe Lodge draft at the 2019 South Island Sale by John Foote Bloodstock.

Finn McCool continued the form of his sire when running to victory at Avondale on Wednesday for trainer Davina Waddell.

The galloper is yet another purchase out of the White Robe Lodge draft at the South Island Sale.

Finn McCool was purchased at the 2018 sale by The Robt Dawe Agency.

In between the wins of Henry The Lion and Finn McCool, Ghibellines stood on the world stage as the sire of Melbourne Cup contender Smokin Romans (Ghibellines-Inferno-Yamanin Vital)

The White Robe Lodge bred star ran a very commendable race in Australasia’s biggest race, fighting on for seventh.

Smokin Romans will undoubtedly be a bigger force in cup races to come with the experience of competing against the best stayers in the world.