by Michael Guerin
Sundees Son’s Australian campaign is over before it began.
And the South Island track of Omakau is the unlikely winner out of the forced change of plans.
The champion Kiwi trotter was to have campaigned in Victoria next month with the Great Southern Star in February his main aim but with the New Zealand Government closing the borders to even returning Kiwi citizens (unless they have hotel quarantine booked) until late February at the earliest the trip is now off.
“It just all good too hard,” says trainer Robert Dunn.
“If Johnny had gone over to drive him he would have been there for six weeks the way things are now and we can’t afford to have him away for that long.
“We have major races here and the yearling sales so we decided against the trip as much as we would have liked to go.” Sundees Son will now race in the $20,000 mobile 2000m trot at Omakau before the Dunns decide whether he should head to Cambridge for races there on his way to the $50,000 Lyell Creek Stakes at Alexandra Park on the new Harness Millions night on February 12.
“That is the next big aim now we have had to change our plan so we will decide with path to take to get there.” Team Dunn have Dance Till Dawn (3) and First Rose (8) in the $150,000 Dunstan Sires’ Stakes Final at Alexandra Park on Friday night and Robert says the draw makes Dance Till Dawn the better chance.
“She is best in front she will be there to lead and stay there,” says Robert.
The stable also has Steel The Show and Franco Niven in a stacked Franklin Cup at the big Alexandra Park meeting.
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