Recently deceased (April 2015) stallion Sundon was inducted to the Addington Harness Hall of Fame in October 2014.
Sundon was a leading trotter who became the outstanding trotting sire in Australasia over the past twenty years. Sundon single-handedly advanced trotting breeding in NZ by ‘quantum leaps’. He did however have a mixed reception from many trainers. His stock showed great speed but could also prove somewhat head strong. However, his record as a sire proves his stock over came any difficulties encountered. Sundon was honoured for his overall record with induction into the NZ Trotting Hall of Fame. Sundon will continue to dominate NZ trotting ranks as sire/broodmare for many years to come. His legacy to the trotting breed is immeasurable.
The Arndon son of BF Coaltown mare Sungait Song (dam also of A Touch of Son, Arnsong, Simone Roydon, Sunning, Sunsong), was bred by Sir Roy McKenzie in the United States, foaling in 1986. He originates from the North American family U58 Topsey by Bashaw. Originally named Sondon before his export to New Zealand, he was registered as Sundon in NZ. His sire Arndon was a world record holder setting a T1:54.0TT mile at The Red Mile, Lexington, Kentucky in 1982. Sir Roy’s deeds are legendary in NZ harness racing; the breeding and bringing of Sundon to NZ proving to be another of many grand achievements.
Sundon’s racing record included a Group One feature – Dominion Hcp; Group Two‘s – NZ Trotting Stakes – 2, Rosso Antico Stakes – 3 (now Gp1 GN Trotting Derby), Canterbury Park Trotting Cup; Group Threes – Cambridge Trotting Stakes – 3, ID heats (3), NZ Trotting C/S (now Gp 1) while other significant victories included Hambletonian – 3, Banks Peninsula Trotting Cup, Ashburton Trotters Mile (all now Gp3 races)
Racing on 60 occasions solely in NZ, Sundon’s record showed 60 : 27 – 5 – 3, $264,085; T2:01.1. At Addington specifically, he started on 37 occasions for a record of 13 wins and 6 placings. Included among the 13 Addington victories were 1 Group 1, 3 Group 2’s and 4 Group 3’s. At one stage Sundon had an unbeaten win sequence of 14 (record for pacer or trotter, won 3 of next 4 starts also) until beaten by Courage Under Fire and Lyell Creek (20 successive wins) for a trotter. He was NZ 2yo, 3yo, Aged and Overall Trotter of Year in 1988, 1989 and 1991 respectively.
Throughout his racing career, Sundon was owned by his breeder Sir Roy McKenzie. Fred Fletcher trained him during his racing career (in partnership with Mark Smolenski for 11 victories) and his winning drivers were Fred Fletcher (18), Peter Jones (8) and Mike DeFlippi (1).
Sundon’s siring record is impressive. His first crop of 15 starters produced eleven winners
- Twice champion NZ sire (Pacers & Trotters) for stakes : 2005 & 2007
- Fifteen times champion NZ trotting sire (stakes and winners) : 2001 – 2015
- Four times producing greater than 100 individual winners in NZ season (record of 118 in 2008/9) with 225 seasonal wins his best ever in 2007/8
- Thirteen times leading Australian trotting sire (stakes) : 2003 – 2015
- Twelve times leading Australian trotting sire (winners) : 2004 – 2015
- Five times leading New Zealand trotting broodmare sire (stakes and winners) : 2011 – 2015
- Five times leading Australian trotting broodmare sire (stakes and winners) : 2011 – 2015
- Sire of 5 Harness Jewels winners (11 as broodmare sire)
- Numerous Group One winners, age group champions
A fixture at Roydon Lodge Stud for over twenty years, Sundon left winners of all ages, of both sexes and almost entirely of the trotting persuasion. His progeny are sought after by Australian purchasers as his siring performance shows.
Sundon’s principal top level performers with emphasis on NZ include :
Adellas Dash (VIC Trotters Oaks), Aldebran Shades/Fiery Mountain Girl (NSW Trotters Derby), Allegro Agitato (Trotting C/S (2) & FFA, Aust Trotting Grand Prix, National Trot); Delft (National Trot, ID heats [4]/Final, Dullard Cup); Dependable (NZ Trotting Stakes -3T, Rosso Antico Stakes – 3T); Eljaykay Phoenix (Redwood, VIC Sires Stakes – 2T, Breeders Crown – 2T, VIC Need for Speed – 3T); Escapee (GN/NZ Trotters Derbies); Galleons Paradise (VIC Trotters Derby/Oaks); Galleons Sunset (Bill Collins Mile, ID Final); Houdini Star (GN/VIC Trotters Derbies, National Trot); Hurricane Flyer (GN Derby); I Didn’t Do It (VIC SS – 4T, Grand Prix, Bill Collins Mile, Dullard Cup); Ima Gold Digger (GN/NZ Trotters Derbies, Trotting FFA); Irish Whisper (National Trot); Jasmyns Gift (Trotting FFA & C/S); Kahdon (GN Trotters Derby, VIC Trotters Oaks); Last Sunset (Trotting FFA); Martina H (Rowe Cup, Dominion Hcp, Dullard Cup); Master Lavros (Dominion Hcp, Rowe Cup, Trotting C/S); One Over Kenny (millionaire, GN Trotters Derby, Aust Trotting C/S, Rowe Cup (2), Trotting C/S, National Trot (2)); Our Sunny Whiz (Rowe Cup); Pompallier (Dominion Hcp, Trotting C/S); Shirley Temple (NZ Trotters Derby); Speculate (Trotting FFA); Springbank Richard (VIC Trotters Derby, Dominion Hcp); Sundons Gift (millionaire, Grand Prix (4), ID Final (2), NSW Trotters Flying Mile, Rowe Cup, Bill Collins Mile); Sundons Luck (GN/NZ Trotters Derbies); Sundons Way (Bill Collins Mile); Sunny Action (Trotting FFA); Sunny Ruby (Jewels Ruby – 3T); Superbowlcheerleader (Anzac Cup); Supreme Pat (VIC Trotters Derby); Whatsundermykilt (Dominion Hcp).
His richest Australian bred trotter is I Didn’t Do It ($455,554) with Sundons Gift, bred in NZ being the richest raced in Australia ($1,275,264). In NZ, One Over Kenny ($1,060,394) is his richest performer. Where speed is concerned, Sundon’s fastest Australian bred trotter is Aleppo Midas (T1:56.3) while again Sundons Gift (T1:54.3) is his fastest to have raced in Australia. In NZ, Sunny Ruby’s T1:54.7 at Ashburton (2015 Harness Jewels) is his quickest. In North America, a select band of six ANZ bred trotters have trotted a mile in better than 1:53. Of these six trotters, four were sired by Sundon – the fastest Southern Hemisphere bred trotter is Mighty Dragon who recorded T1:52.0US at Meadowlands in 2003; Lets Get Serious (T1:52.2US – 2009), Westland Sun (T1:52.3US – 2006) and Delft (T1:53.0US – 2007). Note – Lyell Creek and A Touch of Flair round out the six trotters.
Sundon’s broodmare sire credits include :
(My) Ayra (Trotting Stakes – 2, Breeders Crown – 2F, NSW/VIC Trotters Oaks, VIC Need for Speed – 3T), Commander Jewel (NZ Trotters Oaks), Doctor Mickey (NZ Trotters Derby), Flying Isa (Jewels Ruby – 2T, Aust Breeders Crown – 2T, NSW Franco/Australian series, Aust Trotting C/S, fastest trotter in Australasia T1:53.2), Gammel Dansk (SA Trotters Cup), Habibti (NZ/NSW Trotters Derbies, NSW/VIC Trotters Oaks), Im Stately (Breeders Crown – 2T, VIC SS – 2/4T), Jaccka Justy (Dominion Hcp), Majestic Time (NZ Trotters Oaks), Miami H (Aust Breeders Crown – 3T), Missandei/Monbet (Jewels Ruby – 2T), Mountbatten (Dominion Hcp, Trotting C/S, ANZ Grand Circuit Trotting Champion), Mystic Hush (NSW/VIC/SA Trotters Oaks), One Over Da Moon (Jewels Ruby – 2T), Paramount Geegee ($½m, Aust Breeders Crowns – 2/3T, GN/NZ Trotters Derbies, Jewels Ruby – 3T), Prime Power (Jewels Ruby – 3T), Royal Aspirations (Jewels Ruby – 2T, t2, T1:56.5), Sovereignty ($¾m, GN Derby, National Trot, 4 Cambridge Flying Stakes), Spider Girl (VIC SS 2/3/4T, Breeders Crown – 4T), Stent (Anzac Cup, 2 Aust Grand Prix, 2 heats/final VIC Great Southern Star, NZ Trotting FFA, Knight Pistol Cup, NZ Trotting C/S, Rowe Cup), Vulcan ($¾m, Jewels Ruby – 3/4T, Trotting FFA, Dominion Hcp, Dullard Cup, Aust Grand Prix, heat/final VIC Great Southern Star, Trotting C/S, Knight Pistol Trotters Cup, ANZ Grand Circuit Trotting Champion).
Sundon has to date sired the winners of over 2,700 races in NZ from over 27,000 starts (730 individual winners, a handful of who are pacers, 109 trotters in 2:00, earnings of over $27m in NZ) plus 118 individual winners born in Australia. As a broodmare sire he has 354 winners (58 in 2:00) of over 1,200 races in NZ (73 winners in Australia).
Peter Craig
[starlist][/starlist]21 September 2015
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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