Son Of Sun makes stylish return
Richard Edmunds • August 31st, 2025 4:59 PM • 3 min read
Sunday’s Clotworthy Racing Open (1600m) lost some of its top-flight talent with Mark Twain’s scratching due to the Heavy10 track at Te Aroha, but another returning stayer took the spotlight with a bold first-up performance.
Last season’s Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) winner Son Of Sun kicked off his six-year-old preparation in the $50,000 open handicap. His last raceday appearance had been 176 days earlier, when he finished eighth in the Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m) on Champions Day at Ellerslie on March 8.
The Tavistock gelding was ridden by Warren Kennedy on Sunday and settled near the back of the field. When Rosetown Princess saved significant ground by sticking to the inside around the home turn, Son Of Sun was left all on his own in a clear last.
Kennedy angled Son Of Sun across the back of the field and got him to the extreme outside halfway down the straight, but he was still last and had plenty of work to do and limited time remaining.
Son Of Sun quickly balanced himself up and accelerated, powering past all of his seven rivals within the last 150m of the race. He collared fellow stayer Canheroc in the final few strides and snatched victory by a head. The race was run in 1:46.55 on extremely heavy ground.
Co-trainer Grant Cooksley had been happy with Son Of Sun’s progress through the early part of his new campaign, but was still pleasantly surprised by his first-up performance.
“He won that race really well,” he said. “It was nice to see him produce a performance like that first-up. It was probably a bit better than we were expecting, and especially on a track like that.
“We’d been pretty happy with him leading into it. He’s coming up well and is a stronger and more mature horse this time in.”
Son Of Sun was a $65,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2021. He has now had 22 starts for seven wins, three placings and $375,595 in stakes for owners New Zealand Gingkosun Investment Ltd.
The TAB reacted to Sunday’s win by moving Son Of Sun from $41 into $18 for the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Ellerslie on October 18. He is also nominated for the Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m) at Te Rapa on September 27, for which he remains a $41 chance.
“I’m not sure where we’ll go with him now, there’s not that many suitable handicap races around for him during the spring,” Cooksley said.
“We’ll get him home and see how he’s come through this, then try to work out a plan.”
