By MIKE DILLON
Sunline says please find me a partner.
Not the suitor that will end up providing an extremely valuable foal for the champion mare, one she can simply nuzzle up to in Hong Kong next month.
Trevor McKee is worried that because Sunline is the only New Zealand representative for the International meeting on December 17 she could be stranded alone in a quarantine barn at Sha Tin racetrack.
"I'm desperate to find a mate for her up there, her being alone is not what we want," said McKee yesterday.
Melbourne Cup third placegetter Second Coming was a few days ago given a late call-up to compete in the 2400m Hong Kong Vase.
He will be there as an Australian representative from Mike Moroney's Flemington stable, but McKee is hoping for permission for Second Coming and Sunline to be allowed to quarantine together in the New Zealand compound.
Last year, when Sunline competed in the Hong Kong Cup, she mated up with Kiwi stayer Cronus, who ran in the Vase.
"Second Coming is ideal, because he's the only gelding that I know of among the Australian horses," said McKee.
"Shogun Lodge, Adam, Testa Rossa and Falvalon are all stallions and you couldn't have her anywhere near them."
McKee is hoping for a ruling from Hong Kong Jockey Club officials in the next few days.
For the same reason McKee has waived the opportunity to fly Sunline direct from New Zealand to Hong Kong.
"She would be the only one on the flight. I've arranged to fly her to Melbourne to link up with the Australian horses."
Sunline will miss the opportunity to avenge her defeat in the Hong Kong Cup last year and will run instead in the Mile.
McKee is happy with the mare's progress going into the $60,000 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes at the Counties meeting on Saturday.
Sunline used the same race as a lead-up to Hong Kong last year and McKee says he is not too concerned the gap between Counties and Hong Kong is this time an additional week.
"The Cox Plate was a week later this year too and we had to work around that."
Regular rider Greg Childs is flying from Melbourne to take the Sunline ride.
McKee said he will give the mare a reasonably serious gallop at Takanini tomorrow and will follow up with some quieter work on Thursday.
Second Coming's late inclusion is bad luck for the Auckland Racing Club, which was looking forward to having the horse at Ellerslie for the Auckland Cup.
When that race is run, Second Coming will still be in quarantine in Melbourne.
Second Coming should be a useful chance in the Vase. His Melbourne Cup third was a top effort given he missed work and was left in front a long way out.
Racing: Wanted: travelling mate to keep stroppy star happy
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