Popular New Zealand trainer Trevor McKee has died aged 81 with tributes pouring in for the man most famous for the deeds of champion Sunline.

McKee suffered a stroke late last year and had been in ill-health since and died on the eve of the Doncaster Mile in Sydney, a race Sunline first won 20 years ago.

In partnership with his son Stephen, McKee made regular visits across the Tasman with Sunline and also took the mare to Hong Kong and Dubai.

Sunline was retired from racing in 2002 and McKee retired in 2006, helping his son with his operation until he became ill.

Like many New Zealand trainers, McKee spent much of his time preparing horses for sale to Asia.

On is retirement, McKee said if Sunline had come along much earlier in his career he no doubt would have sold her. Selling horses was how McKee survived financially.

"If it had been ten or twenty years earlier, she probably would have been sold off too," McKee said.

Sunline won 32 of her 48 starts including two Cox Plates along with her two Doncasters.

McKee's other good horses included Solveig, Royal Tiara, Flying Luskin, Moonshine and Super Fiesta.

McKee is survived by wife Noeleen and children Suzanne, Stephen and Donna.