Horse Racing: Sunline still one to beat in Cox Plate

By Mike Dillon

Nothing Stephen McKee saw on Saturday swayed him from believing Sunline can win the Cox Plate in October.

"It was purely and simply the run of a tired horse," McKee said after Sunline shocked the racing world by going backwards instead of forward when only fifth in Saturday's $A500,000 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick.

"She wasn't the same horse that went into the Doncaster Handicap."

McKee has not put too much emphasis on the findings of AJC veterinarians who were directed by stewards to inspect Sunline after the race and found the filly had a slow recovery rate.

"It wasn't much different than usual," said McKee.

"She went home and ate up and she's fine this morning."

Regular rider Larry Cassidy said Sunline felt flat when Sky Heights attacked at the 420m, a point where Sunline has traditionally put enormous pressure on her opposition.

"I gave her a shake and there was nothing there," said Cassidy.

McKee said Saturday's performance will not change Sunline's programme for the rest of the year.

"She'll still have the same one-month spell then will be prepared specifically for the Cox Plate.

"She freshens quickly and by next weekend she'll be leaping around the place at home like she's just come back from a spell."

Although avoiding specifics, McKee made it clear the camp was unconcerned about any particular horse as opposition for Sunline in the new season.

Like a re-match with Saturday's winner Intergaze in the Cox Plate.

"She's shown that at her very best she's more than a match for anything.

"She has consistently run the fastest times of each of the racedays and beaten the best that has been available.

"It was no more than tiredness that beat her this time."

Weight-for-age racing is the pinnacle of thoroughbred achievement and there will now be the shouts of, "See, she had beaten nothing and she got buckled when she tackled the best at weight-for-age."

What those people are forgetting is that on Saturday they all carried weight-for-age, while in the Doncaster Sunline was handicapped at exactly weight-for-age and most of the opposition carried much less.