The sad news from Down Under just keeps coming as Hall of Fame mare Sunline—winner of nearly US$8.5 million with 32 wins, 9 places and 3 shows in 48 starts, including 13 G1s—is reportedly near death in New Zealand, suffering from laminitis. You’ll recognize numerous champion Aussie studs (Redoute’s Choice, Testa Rossa, Commands) in this video of Sunline’s back-to-back Cox Plate victories—what an incredible race horse she was!
Her connections also train the Kiwi mare Boundless who has been diagnosed with a chip in her fetlock joint and will be out for 3 to 6 months. With her poor efforts in the Caulfield and Melbourne cups this spring, you wonder if this problem has been festering for awhile or something else was wrong that contributed to this most recent injury. What a tough game this sport is!
Unfortunately, Zaftig will not get the chance to strut her stuff in the G1 Cigar Mile, as she has been retired due to a torn suspensory ligament in her left hind leg, according to the DRF. At least we can look forward to Better Talk Now racing next year, at the ripe old age of 10.
Back in June, I asked how much value Sedgefield has at stud, considering he won only 2 of 14 starts for $249,803, and his best effort was his second-place finish to Hard Spun in last year’s G2 Lane’s End Stakes? Turns out, apparently not much in America, but today he was privately purchased to stand at the Govind Singh family’s Jai Govind Stud in India. He joins their current stallion roster, which includes two Irish-breds: Hymn (G3 Hawthorne Derby winner in 2000) and Case Law (2nd in the G3 Phoenix Sprint). Still, as a full-brother to champion turfster English Channel (by Curlin’s sire Smart Strike out of a Theatrical mare), Sedgefield definitely has marketing appeal. Here’s hoping he does makes a splash abroad.
32 of 48...What the hell are we doing over here?
ReplyDeleteOne word: drugs.
ReplyDeleteI just read an update on Sunline's condition on a NZ racing site and apparently reports of her being close to death are exaggerated. She is reportedly recovering well.
ReplyDeleteThank the lord, I was distressed to hear the news. She was one of my all time favourite racehorses and I followed her career from her early days to her retirement.
PS Thanks for putting up the videos of Sunline's two Cox Plates - brought back fond memories.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of Sunline and had not heard - terrible news that she's ill. Here's hoping her prognosis is, indeed, better than the press was reporting.
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