Promising stayer Son Of Sun (NZ) (Tavistock) continued his love affair with the Ellerslie track after recording his fourth win from just six starts there when taking out the opening event on the card on Saturday, the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers Championship Qualifier (2100m).
The Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley-prepared five-year-old was expected to provide a forward showing by punters who installed him as the $4 Fixed Odds favourite in the nine-horse field.
Rider Ashvin Goindasamy wasn’t afraid to put the son of Tavistock in the race as he sat outside pacemaker My Maebelline Girl throughout, before hitting the front with 300m to run. Challenged hard by Outovstock in the final stages, Son Of Sun found plenty as he held out that runner by a long neck with Terra Mitica making up good ground to finish third.
Cooksley had been confident of a solid performance before the race, especially with Son Of Sun having dropped 6kgs on his most recent start, to carry only 54kgs in the open handicap event.
“It turned out to be a really good run,” Cooksley said.
“We had hoped to have him third or fourth in the running but he was up by the leader, where he has won here before, so it was a good win.
“If he comes through this well he will go to the Waikato Cup (Gr.3, 2400m). That’s why he ran here today as I didn’t think he had enough (rating) points to make that field but he should do now.
“He is probably at the same stage as Trust In You, who won the Stayers Final for us last year, but I do think he could end up being the better horse.”
Goindasamy was delighted with the result after his charge he settled beautifully throughout the race.
“I thought there may have been more speed earlier, but he jumped out of the gates well and while he got a little bit keen at the 800m, once the speed went on he was nicely on the bridle,” he said.
“He was very strong and felt like he would be hard to run down no matter what.”
Bred by Melway Farm, Son Of Sun is raced by a large syndicate under the New Zealand Gingkosun Investment Ltd banner after being purchased from the Cambridge Stud draft for $65,000 during the Book 1 Sale at Karaka in 2021.
He has now won five of his 17 starts and over $193,000 in prizemoney.
