By MIKE DILLON
Everyone in racing wants Sunline for a different reason.
The Waikato Racing Club wants New Zealand's whirlwind thoroughbred at Te Rapa on Saturday as a mood elevator to rank with Bonecrusher, Rachel Hunter and Rod Stewart.
The WRC's two biggest racedays in modern history are when Rod and Rachel attended International Stakes day in February 1995 and when Bonecrusher won the International in 1986.
The club expects crowd levels and turnover to match those two icon days when Sunline takes on the $100,000 Waikato Draught Sprint in her first race since winning the $HK10 million Hong Kong Mile in mid-December.
"The beauty of it is it's free," said WRC chief executive Tony Enting. "There is no entry fee to Te Rapa, even on our biggest day of the year.
"That is pretty good value. As someone pointed out, it's $31 to see the Black Caps in Hamilton this week."
Because of the free entry, accurate attendance records are not possible, but the club estimate is of crowds of 8000 on each of their two previous record days. On-course turnover was $800,000-plus.
"We're gearing for the same again," said Enting.
And the club is wisely not wasting resources on the racing public.
"Everyone in racing knows Sunline will be at Te Rapa on Saturday," said Enting. "We're beefing up our promotion to attract the non-racegoer to come and see New Zealand's champion racehorse."
Not even rain could dampen the greatest atmosphere on a New Zealand racetrack in more than a decade when Sunline won the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes at Counties in November at her first start since winning the Cox Plate.
There were more cheers for the great mare when she lined up for the pre-race parade in the birdcage than after she cantered around to win untested.
Everyone wanted a piece of a sporting legend.
Sunline memorabilia was huge, but this time co-owner Thayne Green, who handles that side of the business, has been caught short on Sunline caps, which sold out at Counties.
"We are expecting a few in from the Australian company handling them, but not enough to put on general sale," said Enting.
"We'll be restricted to competition draws for caps after each race."
New Zealand Thoroughbred Marketing is contributing to the occasion via 1000 Sunline posters to be given away during the day.
The WRC has for the first time hired an in-field screen, and live entertainment will be scattered around the track.
Seven individual group one winners are among the fabulous line-up facing Sunline on Saturday: brilliant McDonogh Stakes winner Fritz, class stablemates One Under and Spring Rain, Showella, Kaapstad Way, Telegraph winner and Sunline's stablemate Star Of Gold and a previous winner of the race in Surface.
Trentham's two group-one winners, Smiling Like and Tall Poppy, face each other in the group-one Whakanui Stud International Stakes, in which they clash with class opponents in Giovana, Cheiron, last year's winner Bluebird The Word, Country Rose and She's A Meanie.
Racing: Waikato club prepares for army of Sun worshippers
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.