Racing: Sunline crushes rivals, trainer crushes media

Sunline is back to her best with a stunning Turnbull MIKE DILLON.

Yes, Trevor McKee is choked with the Aussia media.

No, he didn't have the right tickets for Flemington races on Saturday

And, yes, he does think Sunline can win the $2.25 million Cox Plate for a record-equalling third time.

Trevor McKee is unquestionably one of racing's richest participants, but he hasn't forgotten the days when three square meals were not taken for granted.

Badmouth Sunline and you've as good as badmouthed the McKee family.

And Trevor McKee doesn't mind what forum he uses to let the knockers know of his displeasure.

Moments after Sunline brilliantly won the Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin last December Melbourne journalist Brendan Cormick congratulated McKee with:

"That was a great win."

"That's not what you said in the paper after she won the Cox Plate," was the McKee's reply.

Even in the glow of Sunline's finest moment, the scoreboard has to be settled.

It's said, then it's over with and let's go and have a drink.

Which is exactly what happened to Sky Television presenter Andrew Bensley at Flemington on Saturday moments after Sunline set the wires tapping with her outsanding all-the-way performance to win the $A300,000 Turnbull Stakes.

If Bensley had been aware of McKee's bitter disappointment that in a midweek poll of eight Australian racing journos only one had picked Sunline to win the Cox Plate, he didn't show it.

When he congratulated McKee with a line of how fabulous the effort had been, Bensley copped: "Yes, considering you blokes have all been knocking her."

And when Bensley asked if he could walk with McKee to greet Sunline off the track it quickly became apparent that was not appropriate.

"We're mates, everything was fine afterwards," said McKee yesterday.

Mates are one thing, Sunline another.

While all this was transpiring the Flemington crowd - felt by officials to be 5000 stronger because of Sunline - gave the Kiwi mare a huge ovation.

And if you like such things, you would want to be at Moonee Valley if she can do the same thing to the Cox Plate field.

The noise 50,000-odd made after last year's win was astonishing but this year it will be tougher with Sunline's re-match with Western Australian champ Northerly.

Sunline was yesterday the $3 Cox Plate favourite ahead of Northerly at $3.75, and even though the McKee camp knows the job will not be easy, it is equally aware the balance of power has shifted since Northerly beat Sunline a few weeks ago.

"They're more worried about us than we are of them," says McKee succinctly.

Mckee's disappointment with the Australan media clearly stems from the fact he has continually stated the mare would be properly fit for only for the Cox Plate and for her final lead-up race, which was Saturday's Turnbull.

You could see the difference as Sunline went to the barrier on Saturday.

The frenetic energy was back in her feet and you just knew she was going to run into the bridle.

Even McKee was anxious the mare should settle when she got out by six lengths in the early stages. Flemington has a fearsome home straight when you have weight-for-age horses chasing you off a pace that would burn grass.

McKee says he wasn't surprised Sunline kept going so strongly, but he was pleased when the winning post arrived.

"I knew she was four or five lengths fitter for this race after the work we'd given her through the week.

"I told Greg to lead them as long as nothing else went crazy.

"I thought Brian York might try and lead on Primrose Sands, but he didn't want to.

"I was hoping Greg would give her her head because when you do, rather than fight her, she relaxes. But it's difficult to give a horse that's going that fast in front their head because you end up going 10 lengths clear."

McKee said there was still a fraction of improvement in Sunline for her Cox Plate assignment.

The ploy to put Childs on the mare in trackwork rather than strapper Clair Bird will be continued.

"She was getting too used to Clair and having Greg on her back in training fires her up.

"We won't bother this week because she can have an easy week, but we'll be putting Greg back on when we screw her up in the two weeks leading up to the Cox Plate."

Much was made about runner-up Universal Prince running the last 600m one second faster than Sunline on Saturday.

Okay, that's impressive, but he still didn't get past her. There are few horses anywhere who can give Sunline a big start at the 600m and run past her and Universal Prince will always be conceding Sunline that start, which will be especially difficult around the tight Moonee Valley circuit.

The market behind the two guns for the Cox Plate in October 27 is: $6 Universal Prince and Shogun Lodge, $11 Silvano and Viscount, $16 Lonhro, $21 King Keitel, $21 Caitano.

McKee doesn't want to talk about the lack of racecourses tickets for his connections on Saturday, something which was mentioned on television by part-owner Thayne Green.

"It's not important," he says.

Getting a ticket to Moonee Valley for one of the great races in a decade will be.