Sunstrike - debut on Wednesday
 

Sunline's little girl by Rock of Gibraltar has her first start on Wednesday in a maiden two year-old race at her home track, Pukekohe Park.

Here's the field:

11:45 MDN 2yo 1200m

1 Double Finesse (3)
2 Coup Archie (6)
3 Coolross (11)
4 Mathias (5)
5 Mufhasa (18)
6 Twoeezy (16)
7 Philippides (4)
8 Lunchcutter (7)
9 Nom de Jeu (12)
10 Shooting Star (14)
11 Skaapa (17)
12 Sunstrike (10)
13 Catching Pigeons (E1) (8)
14 Special Lad (E2) (2)
15 Darby Doll (Scr)
16 Go McQueen (E4) (13)
17 Imaomen (E5) (9)
18 Grand Affair (E6) (1)

She's drawn 10, but with only Catching Pigeon likely to make the field she should come in to 7 with the scratchings of 3 emergencies drawn inside her. The rider hasn't been confirmed yet.

Looks a tough field, Double Finesse ran a nice 2nd on debut and Coup Archie came 3rd to a real Derby horse for next season in Demhills last start. Nom de Jeu is by Montjeu out of dual G1-winner Prized Gem - enough said!

Sunstrike will be the favourite though and hopefully she'll start off with a win if she's as good as she looked in her trial last month. Fingers crossed!

The NZ Racing website has race replays, but you have to sign up. So it's probably easier if I put it up on YouTube.

Wow, now that is some breeding. Is this the first from Sunline?

Yeah it's her first.

Her second, a colt by Zabeel, went for $2 million in January, and another filly by the Rock was born late last year.

cool, it will be great to see how these little Sunlines do.

Thanks for the heads up. :)

Haha, Mathias is my cat's name XD.

Anyways, I'll be rooting for Sunstrike! I hope that I'll be able to get the replay of it somewhere :).

Katy

I'll put it on YouTube a few hours after the race.

Aaah well... I'd still love to see it if you can post a link.

http://www.thoroughbrednews.co.nz/nz/?id=29433

I will, the video hasn't been posted on the website yet but I will as soon as it is.

I think Sunstrike had a lot more bad luck than that report suggests, I believe she could have won from where she was at the top of the straight, but she went for a gap that closed on her and she was lucky not to fall! I don't think she liked the wet track either, so I think we can forget she ran.

Mixed feelings about the race. Disappointed about Sunstrike having such an unlucky and disappointing debut, but really excited about Nom du Jeu, the son of another of my favourite horses a few years ago in Prized Gem. It was his debut and he came from way back to win, looks a really nice 3yo next year.

Here's a video of the race.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgTU_axTy_s

Well I'm not one to read too much into a first start, and she did run into some trouble.

However some of that trouble occurred because when asked she didn't move through that hole fast enough and then later the hole collapsed. I guess i'm saying I don't think Sunstrike was going to win even without the trouble.

Could be a different story when she comes back, we'll see.

Thanks for putting up the video.

Yeah the jockey said that she didn't handle the wet track, so hopefully she'll bounce back and won't stay in maiden company for long.

thanks ed for that....

Thanks for posting it. :)

She's back! First start as a 3yo on Saturday up at Ruakaka.

12:00 MDN 1000m

1 Rockandahardplace (18)
2 Mylor (1)
3 Mr Alfie (8)
4 Anita Mojito (16)
5 Miss Nemesis (9)
6 Freddy Heenan (13)
7 Black Buoy (2)
8 Rhythm In The Wind (3)
9 Spook (7)
10 You Go Hugo (11)
11 Ms Dupont (4)
12 Boundless (5)
13 Kandy Lane (10)
14 Sunstrike (12)
15 Holly Bolly (6)
16 Jean's Girl (17)
17 Outrage (15)
18 New Abode (14)

A big maiden field, but one with very little exposed form. Only 3 of these horses have been placed in a race before, Mylor being the best of them with 6 placings from 9 races.

So really, if Sunstrike doesn't win this they've got a problem.

She should at least get track conditions more to her liking this time, Ruakaka is a sand-based track in the "winterless north" that never gets very wet unless there's actually rain on the day, and the forecast is for fine weather.

I'll let you know how she goes.

If you could post a link after the race, I'd love to see it. Thanks. Deb

Thanks for the heads up, ed. Good luck to her. :)

Sure, I'll post that about 24 hours from now. :)

She only beat one home. :(

She was outpaced early, running fastest at the end but never looked a chance. I don't think she'll run over a sprint distance again!

Video coming soon.

Rider Sam Spratt has reported that the horse felt like she was jarring up, possibly growing pains.

So I guess she has an excuse again...but how many more chances do we give her?