Sunlight (horse)

Sunlight (foaled 9 October 2015) is a three-time Group 1 winning Australian bred thoroughbred racehorse.

Sunlight
SireZoustar
GrandsireNorthern Meteor
DamSolar Charged
DamsireCharge Forward
SexMare
Foaled9 October 2015
CountryAustralia
ColourBay
BreederWidden Stud Australia
OwnerRC Parker, L Fung, IE Mitchell, KL Thompson, RJ SR & JR Fletcher, G1G Racing & Breeding, Qatar Bloodstock Ltd
TrainerTony & Calvin McEvoy
Record24: 11–3–5
EarningsA$ 6,575,950[1]
Major wins
Magic Millions 2yo Classic (2018)
Silver Slipper Stakes (2018)
Magic Night Stakes (2018)
Quezette Stakes (2018)
Thoroughbred Club Stakes (2018)
Coolmore Stud Stakes (2018)
Newmarket Handicap (2019)
William Reid Stakes (2019)
Gilgai Stakes (2019)
Awards
Australian Champion Three Year Old Filly (2018-19)

Background

Sunlight was purchased for $300,000 at the 2017 Magic Millions sale. She is by multiple Group I winner Zoustar, out of the former smart mare Solar Charged, a two-time Group III winner of the Kindergarten Stakes and Thoroughbred Club Stakes.[2]

Racing career

Sunlight made her debut at Flemington Racecourse in October 2017 where she finished third in the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes. Two months later she won her first race at the Gold Coast when leading all the way to win by 4.75 lengths. She repeated this effort two weeks later at the same course when winning by 4.5 lengths. These races were used as a lead up to the Magic Millions 2YO Classic run on the same course in January 2018. In this race, Sunlight started as the 3/1 favourite, and despite suffering severe interference during the race, she won by 2 lengths, earning her owners first prizemoney of $1.525 million.[3]

After a six-week break, Sunlight narrowly won the Silver Slipper Stakes when resuming at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse.[4] At her next start she was successful at the same course when winning the Magic Night Stakes.[5] At her next run she started at the odds of 4/1 when running third in the Golden Slipper Stakes, beaten 1.5 lengths.

Sunlight had her final race as a two-year-old in July 2018 at Morphettville Racecourse. In what was billed as a match race of Sunlight vs Nature Strip, the older horse Nature Strip proved far too good, defeating Sunlight by 6 lengths.[6]

Sunlight resumed racing as a three-year-old with successive Group 3 victories at Caulfield Racecourse in the Quezette Stakes and Thoroughbred Club Stakes. A month later she won her first Group 1 race the Coolmore Stud Stakes. In a field of 10, she was the only filly in the race against 9 other colt's.[7] Sunlight won a further two Group 1 races as a three-year-old, the Newmarket Handicap and the William Reid Stakes.

As a four-year-old Sunlight won the Gilgai Stakes,[8] before finishing unplaced in The Everest. She then finished second in the inaugural running of the Golden Eagle, collecting prizemoney of $1.5 million for doing so.[9]

Sunlight was retired in 2020 after disappointing displays in the G1 The Goodwood and Robert Sangster Stakes.

Stud career

In July 2020, Sunlight was purchased by Coolmore Stud at the Magic Millions National Broodmare sale for A$4,200,000.[10]

Her first mating will be with American Triple Crown winner Justify.[11]

References
  1. "Sunlight Horse Profile". racingaustralia.horse. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  2. "Sunlight Racehorse Profile". racenet.com.au. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  3. "Sunlight cruises to massive payday in Magic Millions classic". magicmillions.com.au. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  4. "Golden Slipper favourite Sunlight salutes in Silver Slipper". races.com.au. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  5. "Sunlight firms for Golden Slipper with win". horsebetting.com.au. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  6. "Nature Strip shines in Adelaide". punters.com.au. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  7. "Sunlight triumphs over colts in Coolmore Stud Stakes". racenet.com.au. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  8. "Sunlight claims Gilgai". flemington.com.au. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  9. "Sunlight second in $7.5 million Golden Eagle". tweenhills.com. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  10. "Triple Group One winner sold for 4.2m". punters.com.au. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  11. "Record breaking mare Sunlight to Justify". coolmore.com. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
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