By MIKE DILLON
Sunday will tell whether No 11 is really Trevor McKee's lucky number.
He declared it was when he nominated gate No 11 at yesterday's barrier draw in Hong Kong for Sunday's $2.5 million Hong Kong International Cup.
The connections of each of the 13 cup runners were drawn by ballot and asked in turn to take the barrier draw they preferred.
Trevor McKee was the 11th to be called by ballot and at that point only barriers No 9, 11 and 12 remained.
McKee had declared his one wish for the speed-orientated Sunline was to draw inside the first five runners and he surprised everyone when he took barrier No 11 instead of No 9.
"It's my lucky number," said McKee in his usual understated manner.
"When you draw outside the first half dozen, 11 is not much worse than 9. Neither is good though, particularly with such a short run to the first bend after the 2000m start.
"One thing that will help, though, is that there will be an enormous amount of speed in the race and that should open the field up and hopefully allow Sunline a chance to slot in before they've got round the bend."
The remarkable, almost scary, feature of the mare is the suspicion she is getting better. Logic suggests you don't get better after a Cox Plate, but perhaps ...
Greg Childs was flat holding onto her even in the closing stages of a 1400m solo gallop on the all-weather surface.
As the gallop finished co-trainer Stephen McKee was visibly nervous that Sunline had worked too hard, but it was as slow as Childs could hold her back to at speed. Despite that, Trevor McKee clocked her to run the last 1200m in 1.14, the 600m in 34.5.
Childs cannot hide his delight. On Wednesday morning he and Sunline exchanged serious words over how fast the mare had wanted to go when Childs was insisting on pacework.
"She didn't get the better of me, but she tried hard ... my arms were numb when I came off the track."
Sunline's job was made slightly easier with the scratching of topline German stayer Tiger Hill, who has had tendon problems since running in the Japan Cup.
Cronus, who faces a mammoth task in the strongest of the four international races, the 2400m Vase, looked in close to the best condition of his career when he went through 2000m alone on the course proper, working so strongly he continued at a good clip well into the back straight.
Carrying the 5lb penalty for being a group one winner, Cronus faces a huge task against the likes of Hong Kong's champion Indegenous, who finished second to Special Week in the Japan Cup 12 days ago.
Racing: Wide start no barrier for Sunline
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