DUBAI - Sunline's defeat in the $US2 million Dubai Duty Free suggests trainers Trevor and Stephen McKee got it right by keeping her out of the Dubai World Cup.
The father and son combination had been under strong pressure to line up the outstanding New Zealand mare in the $US6 million Dubai World Cup (2000m) on the Nad Al Sheba's dirt course to help boost the night's under-strength feature.
But they resisted the temptation and chose to run her on the less-testing turf surface over the shorter journey of 1777m in a race which proved testing enough for her.
After pulling, Sunline led for the last half of the race but was run down inside the final 200m, finishing a neck and a half length behind winner Jim And Tonic and runner-up Fairy King Prawn.
Third was worth $US200,000 ($489,000) and her career earnings now stand at $9.8 million.
"I think this effort proves that Trevor and Stephen were right not to start her in the World Cup," Sunline's jockey Greg Childs said.
"She tried hard but I think it showed she would have had real trouble running 2000m on dirt."
Nad Al Sheba's turf course is not regarded as especially testing in Europe and the 600m straight is not especially long in Europe either, so Sunday's race perhaps suggested she might be best at 1600m or less at international level on roomy tracks.
However, she could well handle trips up to 2000m in the United States, where the turf courses are much tighter.
It's also arguable that Sunline's very best form is on tracks which aren't as firm as at Nad Al Sheba. Her greatest effort, last year's seven-length Cox Plate win, was on a track with a fair bit of give in it.
Stephen McKee, however, didn't think it was the distance or the track that beat Sunline in Dubai. "She pulled quite a bit early after Slickly took her on," he said.
"She had the chance to settle and didn't. If she had done so she might have had more left at the end.
"But she tried her heart out and I'm proud of her. With 200m to run it looked as though they were going to run away from her but she never stopped fighting."
The McKees have yet to decide where Sunline will head next. They have been thinking about a United States campaign or returning home. Her defeat may make them lean towards the latter option.
Ultimately they would like her to win a third Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in Melbourne in October, this time against more international opposition.
"I hope the two that finished ahead of her come and take her on there," Stephen McKee said.
Childs thought Sunline wasn't quite as explosive as normal, something possibly due to her pulling early.
"She can usually kick faster and for longer, but that might have been because she over-raced."
- NZPA
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