KEY POINTS:
The first foal of champion racemare Sunline has been named Sunstrike and she could make her racing debut within three or four weeks.
The "Sun" part of the 2-year-old filly's name is an obvious reference to her mother Sunline and the "Strike" part comes from her father Rock Of Gibraltar.
Trevor McKee, who trained Sunline and is a part-owner of Sunstrike, said it was hoped something solid would be struck with Sunstrike but not just mere rock.
"Strike a bit of gold, some diamonds or whatever," he said.
Sunstrike won a 800m trial for 2-year-olds at Pukekohe on April 3 by two lengths and McKee said she was nearly ready to race.
"Sometime within the next three or four-week period," he said.
A Waikato meeting at Paeroa on May 13 was the sentimental favourite for Sunstrike's debut as it was the same meeting in 1998 that Sunline made her winning debut.
But the meeting does not have a race scheduled for 2-year-olds and McKee said he would check the racing programme for an alternative.
"I'll just have to go back through the calendar and see what might be on around about then."
Sunline went on to win 32 of her 48 starts. Thirteen of the wins were group one races and they included the 1999 and 2000 Cox Plates in Melbourne, the 2000 Hong Kong Mile and the 1999 and 2002 Doncaster Handicaps in Sydney.
McKee said Sunstrike's trial win was encouraging but it was too early to compare her with her mum.
- NZPA
