Delphyne gives Sundon a fitting finale

Delphyne put the perfect full stop at the end of Sundon’s incredible siring career when winning at Addington on Friday night.

The Phil Williamson-trained harness racing filly is the last of 1863 foals New Zealand’s greatest ever trotting sire has left in this country.

The two-year-old scored win number 3124 in New Zealand for the super stallion and star former racehorse when sweeping down the outer for driver Blair Orange.

The win came more than ten years since Sundon’s passing and added to the incredible impact the stallion has made on New Zealand trotting.

Delphyne was bred with the last straw of frozen semen that Sundon left, at Brent, Sheree and Caine McIntyre’s Macca Lodge in Northern Southland.

“She is the last ever Sundon and she was bred with the last straw of Sundon that was left,” Brent McIntyre said.

“We took on the last of the Sundon straws and we were doing a good job of getting mares in foal.”

“I was talking to Keith Gibson and we did a bit of a deal to take a foal.”

DELPHYNE (Sundon) REPLAY

Delphyne is from Majestic Way, an unraced mare the Macca Lodge team thought would be suited to Sundon.

“She’s from a good old breed that the Skinner family bred a lot of good Sundons from.”

Delphyne was developed at Macca Lodge and trialled for them before heading to the Phil Williamson barn.

“We broke her in and got her going and we liked her.”

“With a nice, young Sundon what else do you do – you send her to Phil Williamson.”

“Being a Sundon, she has probably had Phil tearing his hair out but he’s done a great job with her and we are thrilled with the win.”

Republican Party took out Friday night’s feature, the Group Three Summer Cup when charging home from last.

The pacer showed he is right on track for his Group One Invercargill Cup defence when scoring for trainers Cran and Chrissie Dalgety and driver Carter Dalgety.

“That was the perfect lead up, it couldn’t have panned out any better,” Cran Dalgety said.

“He had a little freshen up after the Cup meeting and that is just the sort of pipe-opener he needed before heading down south.”

“Hopefully he comes through this run as well as we would expect, then bring on Invercargill.”

The Dalgety stable also produced Eun Sogno and The Queens Gambit to run one-two earlier in the night.

For complete race results, click here.

by Jonny Turner, for Harness Racing New Zealand