Racing: Sunline out to pasture? Hardly

By MIKE DILLON

Ask Trevor McKee about Sunline's retirement, if you want a question for an answer.

"Would you retire Sunline if you owned her right now?"

With A$325,000 for Saturday's Coolmore Classic win, the prospect of A$1.56 million in the Doncaster Handicap and several million in international races in Hong Kong and Singapore, the answer is no.

There was always a vague suggestion this would be Sunline's last preparation - that is starting to look less likely.

McKee said yesterday that after the Doncaster Handicap on March 30, Sunline could race in the US$1.8 million Queen Elizabeth Cup in Hong Kong on April 21, then the US$1.65 Singapore Airlines International Cup on May 11.

But the strict one race at a time policy means the Doncaster is the total focus at the moment.

"As always, the horse comes first. If she comes through the Doncaster well we will look at the other possibility.

"If she doesn't, she would be in the spelling paddock with the idea of a spring campaign."

Sunline will almost certainly miss Saturday's A$400,000 Darley Stakes because of what the Coolmore Stakes has taken out of her.

"It was one of her hardest runs and it had it's effect.

"But her powers of recovery are remarkable and Claire [strapper, Claire Bird] said this morning she was bucking and kicking around the place.

"I will wait until acceptance time for the Darley on Thursday to see how she is, but I very much doubt she will be running.

"She can go into the Doncaster fresh."

Sunline has escaped a re-handicap on her 58kg for winning the Coolmore under 60kg.

Thoroughbred Racing Board chief handicapper Mark Webbey said he was comfortable with his decision to leave Sunline on 58kg.

"She defeated a field that is three kilos inferior to the Doncaster field," he said.

"I didn't penalise her in 2000 for winning the Coolmore [with the same weight] and she did it with more authority then.

"The rest meet her on better terms in the Doncaster and I'm confident she's weighted up to her best."

After her Coolmore win of two years ago, Sunline was narrowly beaten under 57.5kg in the Doncaster by lightweight Over.

McKee admitted yesterday that the last 150m of that race is not one of his life's special moments as he held his breath watching Sunline struggle with her weight up the tough Randwick straight and get run down late.

"I thought it was a brilliant ride by Darren Gauci that day to beat us. He waited for one late dab at us, and even if he missed us he was still always going to run second."

Traditionally, Randwick has been a swoopers' track in the major metric miles, but McKee says the general feeling is that since the track has been resurfaced in the past two years, the racing pattern has altered.

"They say it suits on-pace runners much better now, which would help Sunline."

Heading into one of Australia's greatest races, McKee is extremely proud of the way Sunline fought under frightening pressure last Saturday.

McKee says Sunline will dictate her own retirement by showing the appropriate signs.

That certainly was not on Saturday.