Sunlight Claims a Third Group One

Tara Madgwick - Friday March 22
Zoustar filly Sunlight elevated her claim to be one of the all time great sprinting fillies when scoring a bold front running win in the Group I MVRC William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday night.

Newmarket winner Sunlight is a winner again - image Grant CourtneyPrepared by Tony McEvoy and partnered by Luke Currie, she made light work of an outside gate, spearing across to take the lead before cruising home to win the 1200 metre weight-for-age sprint by three-quarters of a length from the fast finishing Spright.

Her expected rivals for the lead in Written by and Fell Swoop had nothing to offer leaving Sunlight to set the pace and take the win.

"To do what she's done at this point in her career is just amazing," said Luke Currie.

"She must have read the papers and knew about the wide gate as she was as quick from the gates as I've ever ridden her.

"They have to have the x-factor to be as good as her and she has it!"

A brilliant winner of the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and then a Golden Slipper place-getter last season, Sunlight won the Group I Coolmore Stud Stakes in the spring beating the colts, then won the Group I Newmarket under handicap conditions and has now won a weight-for-age sprint leaving no stone unturned on her CV.

"What a star!" said Tony McEvoy.

"She just rises to the occasion in these big races. I'm so proud of her I can't tell you."

A champion in the making - Sunlight as a yearlingA $300,000 Magic Millions purchase for Aquis/McEvoy Mitchell Racing/Blue Sky Bstock from the Widden Stud draft, Sunlight was bred in partnership by Widden Stud, whose Katie Thompson also shares in her ownership.

Sunlight has won 10 of 15 starts and over $4million in prizemoney and is a half-sister to Group III placed Sheikha. She is the third winner from former speedy filly Solar Charged, winner of the Group III ATC Kindergarten Stakes at her second start.

Solar Charged has a two year-old full sister to Sunlight who was knocked down to McEvoy Mitchell Racing/David Redvers Bloodstock for $600,000 at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and is named Sisstar. She has had one start to date finishing fourth in the Group III VRC Otttawa Stakes in the spring.

Solar Charged's Sebring colt will be a star lot for Widden Stud at the upcoming Inglis Easter Yearling Sale as Lot 274.

After foaling a Zoustar colt last October, Solar Charged was covered by the Widden Stud stallion again last spring.



Advertisment
More Reading...
Breeding To Win – Crystal Ball – New Season 3YOs to Follow
Who are we highlighting this week? - Analysis of the G1 winning 3YO’s for last season has made us realise how many horses on this list took giant strides from two to three, so we are looking into the crystal ball to find some juveniles we believe could end this season as G1 performers if not G1 winners.
Sires With Winners - Thursday August 7
Here is the full list of 36 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Zoustyle Does it Again!
"The guys that own him were really disappointed when he drew wide but I said to them when he came over here and worked on Tuesday, 'this is really his favourite track’, he gets himself into such a good rhythm here and it's the only race all Summer that I had an opportunity to bring him back here to Doomben," Gollan said.
G3 Win for Sunlight Sister
Stakes-placed earlier this year in Adelaide, three year-old Zoustar filly Sisstar has taken a little longer to hit winning form than her famous older sister Sunlight, but she claimed a valuable Black Type success at Flemington on Oaks Day when leading all the way to win the Group III VRC Red Roses Stakes (1100m).
First Godolphin Winner for Maher
Champion trainer Ciaron Maher saddled his first winner for Godolphin at Kembla on Thursday and he did it with a blue-blood colt by Too Darn Hot (GB).
Zoustar Filly Spoils the Party at the Gold Coast
The Toby and Trent Edmonds-trained Queen Kay defeated her better-fancied stablemate Smart 'N' Sexy in Saturday’s $125,000 Aquis Gold Pearl Quality at the Gold Coast, which was not just a blow to punters but looks to have cost the runner-up a spot in next week’s Magic Millions 2yo Classic.  
Wootton Bassett Set to Blast Out of Winter
Many people may have anticipated Wootton Bassett (GB) would have been our Champion Australian First Season Sire last season and while that didn’t quite eventuate, he did finish the season with a wealth of horses holding spring potential and several were in action at the trials this morning.
Sires With Winners - Friday August 8
Here is the full list of 39 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Above the Clouds Wins $100,000 Polytrack Championship
It proved to be a long but fruitful day for Kelly Myers on Friday, with the now Central Districts-based hoop riding home Above The Clouds to win the $100,000 TAB Polytrack Championship (2000m) at Cambridge for local trainer Ralph Manning.
Melbourne Cup on Radar for Sons and Lovers
Joseph O’Brien knows what it takes to win a Melbourne Cup and that was mentioned as a possible goal for progressive young stayer Sons and Lovers, who won the Group III Ballyroan Stakes (1m4f) at Leopardstown overnight.