Sunny set to join millionaires' club

by Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk 

At 8 o’clock tonight New Zealand could have its newest millionaire – and it’s got nothing to go with Lotto.

Trotting sensation Sundees Son fronts up as the hottest of favourites in the appropriately named Lyell Creek Stakes to kick off the first ever Harness Million meeting at Alexandra Park.

With earnings currently standing at $991,917, the seven-year-old Majestic Son gelding is on the verge of cracking seven figures. But he will have to win the race and the $27,500 in stakes to do it. Second place is worth $7750 and that would take him to $999,667.

The winner of 27 races (from 60 starts) has been in dominant form of late and has drawn handily at four in a eight-horse field over 2200 metres. In early markets he was a very short priced favourite ($1.30).

If Sundees Son joins the millionaires’ club he will be just the 11th to do so.

Leading the list by the length of the straight is Lyell Creek with $2,961,137. The globe-trotting sensation had 56 wins between 1998 and 2005.

Other millionaires include Sundon’s Gift ($1,460,561), I Can Doosit ($1,445,774), Speeding Spur ($1,304,992), Take A Moment ($1,164,356), Stent ($1,156,750), One Over Kenny ($1,098,007), Keystone Del ($1,088,449), Tornado Valley ($1,031,977) and Vulcan ($1,025,892).

One remarkable feature of Sundees Son’s career is that he has won all his races (and money) in New Zealand. That is certainty a rarity among the very best horses these days. 

Harness Racing New Zealand statistics show that the only horse (so far) to have earned more than a million on home soil was I Can Doosit with $1,139,694. Even Lyell Creek only earned $684,083 at home.

The Group Two Lone Star Lyell Creek Stakes is scheduled to go at Alexandra Park tonight at 7.51pm.

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