The Robert Dunn-trained trotter produced one of the most polished performances of his career to show New Zealand Cup week fans exactly how good he is when bolting away with the 3200m feature to win by nearly four lengths in 4min 0.50sec.
The scare Sundees Son put into his legion of backers and the camp that prepares him when galloping in his most recent start at Kaikoura looked a distant memory when the 6yr-old trotted off the mark to take up a handy early position.
From there, driver John Dunn’s intentions looked clear — to keep his horse relaxed and out of trouble — and the reinsman was rewarded with New Zealand trotting’s ultimate trophy.
"After Kaikoura, Johnny and I had a talk and we decided we had to take bad luck out of the equation," Robert Dunn said.
"Pres The Belle was keen and had to come off the fence, but it wasn’t long until Johnny decided to get around to sit parked.
"He is just such a beautifully relaxed horse outside the leader; he goes to sleep."
Sundees Son will now head to Auckland where
he will almost certainly take on speed machine Bolt For Brilliance in the Lyell Creek Stakes and National Trot at Alexandra Park.
"He will go to Auckland next. He handles the Auckland way of going as good as he does going the Addington way," Dunn said.
Sundees Son’s Dominion victory topped an outstanding past 12 months for Robert Dunn and his team, notching both his 1500th career win in New Zealand and his first national premiership.
Runner-up Majestic Man had to settle for yet another big-race placing.
Despite that, trainer Phil Williamson was proud of his 6yr-old.
"He gave it all he could. The winner is just a great, great horse. I am proud of him."
"He would have to be the best one I have had that hasn’t won a group 1."
Two races later, Spankem dished up a powerful reminder of his status as the country’s leading short-course pacer, calling on his sensational speed to win the New Zealand Free-For-All.
The first 100m of the 1980m group 1 feature proved as vital as its last after driver Natalie Rasmussen made Spankem’s rivals pay after they controlled the race in front.
Rasmussen crossed to the lead early, which proved the key to her 6yr-old getting a deserved victory after having to settle for second behind his stablemate Self Assured in Tuesday’s New Zealand Cup.
