Bits N Bridles

The recent win by Delphyne, trained by Brent McIntyre (SBSR), will be one of the last curtain calls for her exceptional sire Sundon.

The three year old filly is one of just a few racehorses left by Sundon, who was a game changer in the trotting gait.

In all, the stallion sired 32,611 starters who won a total of 3,128 races and $32,331,438 in stakes.

Sundon’s top three stake earners in New Zealand have been One Over Kenny, Master Lavros and Springbank Richard. And holding the records for the highest numbers of races won are Moment Of Truth 29, One Over Kenny 26 and Some Direction 25.

Trotters by Sundon have won four Interdominion Trotting Finals, nine New Zealand Trotting Derbys, four New Zealand Trotting Oaks, eight Dominion Handicaps and six Rowe Cups.

He was the country’s leading trotting sire for 14 years in a row (2001-2014).

Sundon mares have created their own legacy and he’s the dam sire of Sundees Son (34), Sovereignty (28), Stent (23) and Monbet (21).

Mid-grade trotter Confessional (Father Patrick) will do his future racing for Alan Clark.

The seven year old has won ten races; eight for Paul Nairn and two for the Michelle Wallis/Bernie Hackett partnership.

His biggest win came in the 2022 $100,000 G1 Ace of Clubs.

As a trainer Clark successfully trained trotter The Fiery Ginga, the winner of twenty eight races and $414,996.

Trotting stallion Royal Aspirations scored a double at Addington on Sunday when both Royal Del and The Royal Gamble won for trainer Fred Fletcher.

Royal Del has now won fifteen races and The Royal Gamble ten.

The stallion’s biggest crop (60) are currently two year olds, so there may be more winners in the pipeline.

This Sunday sees the running of the $20,000 Kurow Cup.

It’s a race that caters for horses moving through the grades and there have been some interesting winners over the years.

Radiant Globe, trained and driven by Gavin Hampton won in 1969. He went on to win twenty one races including a New Zealand FFA and a New Brighton Cup and he finished second to True Averil in the 1971 New Zealand Cup.

In 1981 North Island trainer Neil Brady took Franco Ice south and he won the feature.

Other winners in past years were Stortford Lodge, Samson, Freightman, Emcee, Dillon Dean and Vanderel.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink