Talented mare Burgie turned a frustrating campaign around with a powerful finish to win Saturday’s Gr.3 Valachi Downs South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton.
White Robe Lodge’s homebred daughter of Ghibellines is making a habit of spending time in the black-type spotlight in Christchurch at this time of the year. She won the Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m) in the autumn of her three-year-old season in 2022, then returned 12 months later for a second placing behind Live Drama in last year’s edition of the South Island Breeders’ Stakes.
But Burgie’s connections have endured a frustrating run during her five-year-old season, with her 10 starts before Saturday’s breakthrough producing no wins and three placings. She has featured regularly in stewards’ reports, striking significant interference in the straight on at least three occasions and dislodging rider Terry Moseley soon after the start of last month’s Gr.3 White Robe Lodge WFA (1600m).
Things finally all fell into place for Burgie in Saturday’s $110,000 fillies and mares’ feature. She settled near the tail of the 13-horse field until the home turn, when rider Corey Campbell moved away from the rail and started searching for a way through.
Burgie switched across heels to the centre of the track and Campbell drove her through a gap and let her rip. Burgie swept past nine rivals with a blistering turn of foot, hitting the front with 100m remaining and scoring by half a length over Lady Telena and Dazzling Miss.
“It was great to see her come out and produce that performance today,” said Shane Anderton, who trains in partnership with his father Brian. “She hasn’t had much luck go her way this season, but today was a good day for that luck to change a little bit.
“She’s performed well at these autumn meetings at Riccarton over the last couple of years, although I think more than anything else, her lack of success as a five-year-old so far this season just comes down to all the bad luck she’s had.
“She’s definitely had more bad luck than good luck this year. She went about 10 strides in the White Robe Lodge before Terry lost his iron and fell. It’s been frustrating, but getting that win today makes up for it a bit.
“We’ll let the dust settle on this before we decide what we do with her next. We could think about bringing her back to Riccarton for some of the other feature races later in the autumn, but we won’t rush into anything.”
One of half a dozen individual stakes winners for White Robe Lodge stallion Ghibellines, Burgie is out of the six-time winning Gallant Guru mare Norah, whose half-siblings Requisite and Rosa Marada both won at black-type level.
Burgie’s 26-start career has now produced four wins, eight placings and $226,335 in stakes.