Catching up with Alflaila at stud

With the southern hemisphere breeding season underway, we caught up with Wayne and Jack Stewart of White Robe Lodge to see how Alflaila is adjusting to his new career.

Alflaila has settled in well, arriving with a gleaming summer coat into the depths of the New Zealand winter. It must have been a shock to the system, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at him – gleaming and full of presence as ever. When we arrived, he was in the paddock, overlooked by owner Brian Anderson’s home. It’s clear to see that he is flourishing in his new home and career and held in high regard by the whole team.

In just one week of the season, Alflaila had already serviced four mares, with many more on the books. Both Wayne and Jack emphasised that Alflaila’s class, ability, and strength throughout his career are what drew them to him.

White Robe Lodge is a truly impressive operation spanning 300 acres on the northern end of the Taieri Plains on the South Island of New Zealand. The rolling hills provide shelter, ensuring Alflaila has ample space and breathtaking views.

White Robe Lodge, founded in 1956 by Brian Anderton in Otago’s Taieri Plains, is a renowned South Island thoroughbred stud and racing establishment steeped in family tradition. Named after the mare that gave Anderton his first win as a 13 year old, the stud began when he acquired his foundation stallion, Harken, at just 18 years old  .

Despite their size, Anderton favoured stallions with stellar pedigrees over proven racers, a strategy that paid off spectacularly. His most significant sires, Mellay and Noble Bijou (both unraced), produced numerous Group I winners and each claimed multiple sires’ and broodmare sires’ premierships  . Their crossbreeding, especially Noble Bijou on Mellay mares, yielded six Group I victors including Prince Majestic and Allez Bijou  .

Over the decades, White Robe Lodge continued this legacy of stamina and quality with stallions like Yamanin Vital, whose progeny excelled in staying and jumping events, and Ghibellines, whose first Group I winner, Smokin’ Romans secured victory in the Turnbull Stakes   .

Today, the stud remains in the hands of the Anderton family daughter Karen, son-in-law Wayne, grandson Jack, and Brian himself with a roster including Ancient Spirit, Ghibellines, and now Alflaila. This enduring multigenerational involvement continues to uphold the stud’s reputation for producing tough, sound racehorses with staying power.

Standing at $7,000 (NZD) + GST, Alflaila represents great value for money. We eagerly anticipate seeing his foals next year.