Racing: Northerly rises as Sunline's star sets

By MIKE DILLON

MELBOURNE - The baton has been passed.

Sunline handed it to Northerly in front of a bursting grandstand at Moonee Valley on Saturday in a fitting finale.

The phenomenal racing career of Sunline ended at the precise moment Northerly stepped into the spotlight to become the next hero.

Even before the horses had come back, Northerly's trainer, Fred Kersley, came down from the grandstand and embraced Trevor McKee.

The poignant moment hardly needed words, but Kersley said simply: "What a great horse she is."

The fairytale winning end to a great career did not occur, but Sunline, as always, did her admirers proud with her brave fourth to Northerly, Deifier and the European champion Grandera.

Sunline's career produced $14.1 million, 32 wins and a bunch of memories - like narrowly downing the great Fairy King Prawn in the Hong Kong Mile; two Cox Plates; winning a second Doncaster Handicap with an impossible weight; and a luckless and close third to Jim And Tonic and Fairy King Prawn in Dubai last year.

The crowd cheered Northerly's win, but they cheered Sunline even more, before and after the race.

The Moonee Valley Racing Club hung a banner from the stand: "Thank you Sunline". Sky Channel presenter Andrew Bensley said, "I cried like a baby when Sunline came back and I'm not ashamed of it."

Sunline was always the people's champion and trainers Trevor and Stephen McKee understood that.

When Sunline began her last campaign in the Mudgway Stakes at Hastings in September, a woman asked if she could have her photo taken with the mare just after she was saddled.

Trevor McKee stood the mare for nearly 10 minutes while a stream of fans had their photos taken.

Sunline's body and mind withstood four and a quarter years in the white-hot pressure of group one racing.

Relief was a word passed around in the camp after Saturday's race.

"We're just so pleased she's ended her career sound and well - so many good horses don't," said Stephen McKee.

Sunline had only one glitch along the way, straining the ligaments in a foot as a 3-year-old.

"The vets told us to give her a year off, but two months later she was in work. She won the Moonee Valley Oaks and three starts later won the Doncaster Handicap," said Trevor McKee.

Sunline's heart is not the only rugged part of her body.

Greg Childs could have ridden Northerly on Saturday, but could not have cared less that a A$200,000 winning riding fee had gone instead to Patrick Payne.

"What a ride it's been," he said.

"It was very emotional bringing her back after the race - I knew I wouldn't be doing it again.

"As I walked her past the winning post I leaned down and kissed her on the neck and nearly lost it.

"Yes, I had tears in my eyes."

Trevor McKee said he and owners Thayne Green and Helen Lusty had a number of options for Sunline now, but a sale to Dubai or the United States seems the most likely course.

Sunline flew back to Auckland last night.

Someone asked Stephen McKee about life without Sunline and what he would be doing from here on.

"One thing's for sure, I'll be back here next year cheering Northerly on in the Cox Plate - it's up to him now to try and equal Kingston Town's record of three Cox Plates.

"What a great horse he is."

At dinner on Saturday night Stephen McKee opened his racebook at the Cox Plate.

Above Northerly's name he had Fred Kersley's autograph. The changing of the guard.

Thanks for the memories, Sunline.