A horse whose gameness was beyond fault, Sunstar suffered a career-ending injury in the final furlong of the 1911 Derby Stakes but continued on to win. He enjoyed a successful stud career and was noted for his exceptional fertility and virility as a stallion. He had a significant influence on bloodlines in North and South America through his sons North Star III and Alan Breck and is also the sire of 1917 American champion 3-year-old filly Sunbonnet.
Race record
9 starts, 6 wins, 1 second, 1 third, £16,398
1910:
1911:
Assessments
In their book A Century of Champions (1999, Portway Press Ltd.), British experts John Randall and Tony Morris rated Sunstar as a “superior” winner of the Two Thousand Guineas and an “average” winner of the Derby Stakes. Factors influencing the latter evaluation include the relative weakness of the 1911 Derby field, which did not include several of the crop's best colts, and the fact that second-place Stedfast got away from the start poorly, losing far more ground than Sunstar's margin of victory. Opinions differ as to whether Sunstar was a better colt than the later-developing Prince Palatine, who won the St. Leger Stakes easily in his absence, but the latter is generally considered to be the year's champion 3-year-old male.
As an individual
A brown horse, Sunstar was said to be unusually handsome with excellent balance and a robust constitution. He had an excellent shoulder. His disposition was kindly. A useful juvenile, he improved rapidly in the early part of his 3-year-old season and won his first two starts easily but suffered a tendon injury to his near foreleg during a training gallop nine days before the Derby. He responded well enough to treatment to run in the Derby but aggravated the injury in the race itself and injured the other foreleg as well; according to contemporary reports, he was barely able to walk into the winner's circle. He was later able to resume training and was being targeted for the St. Leger Stakes when he broke down again in August, necessitating his retirement.
As a stallion
Sunstar sired at least 36 stakes winners. He is a Solid chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
Notable progeny
Alan Breck (GB), Buchan (GB), Craig an Eran (GB), Galloper Light (GB), North Star III (GB), Saltash (GB), Scopas (FR), Star Hawk (GB), Sunbonnet (GB), Sunny Jane (GB), Zodiac (GB)
Notable progeny of daughters
Ellangowan (GB), Kopi (GB), Tiffin (GB)
Connections
Foaled at Childwick Bury Stud, Sunstar was bred and owned by Jack Joel. He was trained by Charles Morton. After standing his entire stud career at Childwick Bury, he died of complications of laminitis in 1926 and was buried alongside his sire, Sundridge.
Pedigree notes
Sunstar is inbred 5x4 to 1863 St. Leger Stakes winner and 1876 English champion sire Lord Clifden. He is also inbred 5x5x5 to dual English Classic winner and seven-time English champion sire Stockwell, 5x5x5 to 1851 St. Leger Stakes winner and two-time English champion sire Newminster, and 5x5 to 1857 Two Thousand Guineas winner Vedette. He is a full brother to English juvenile stakes winner Radiant (by Sundridge). Another full brother, White Star, was a high-class juvenile in England but failed to train on as Sunstar did. Sunstar is also a half brother to 1914 One Thousand Guineas and Oaks Stakes winner Princess Dorrie (by Your Majesty).
Doris, the dam of Sunstar, was a pony-sized mare whose only wins were in 5-furlong selling races as a juvenile. She was sired by Loved One from the unraced Petrarch mare Lauretta, also the dam of Carlin (by Chittabob), whose produce included 1909 Goodwood Cup winner Carrousel (by Pietermaritzburg) and 1914 Hardwicke Stakes winner Peter the Hermit (by St. Petersburg). Produced from Ambuscade, Lauretta was herself a half sister to 1893 Goodwood Cup winner Barmecide (by Barcaldine); to La Trappe (by Hermit), second dam of 1918 Coaching Club American Oaks winner Rose d'Or; and to Spring Gun (by Springfield), third dam of 1925 Kentucky Derby winner Flying Ebony.
Books and media
Fun facts
Last updated: October 24, 2024
Race record
9 starts, 6 wins, 1 second, 1 third, £16,398
1910:
- Won International 2YO Plate (ENG, 5FD, Kempton)
- Won Exeter Stakes (ENG, 6FT, Newmarket)
- Won Hopeful Stakes (ENG, 5FT, Newmarket; dead heat with Borrow)
- 2nd Lavant Stakes (ENG, 5FT, Goodwood)
- 3rd Champagne Stakes (ENG, 6FT, Doncaster)
1911:
- Won Two Thousand Guineas (ENG, 8FT, Newmarket)
- Won Newmarket Stakes (ENG, 10FT, Newmarket)
- Won Derby Stakes (ENG, 12FT, Epsom)
Assessments
In their book A Century of Champions (1999, Portway Press Ltd.), British experts John Randall and Tony Morris rated Sunstar as a “superior” winner of the Two Thousand Guineas and an “average” winner of the Derby Stakes. Factors influencing the latter evaluation include the relative weakness of the 1911 Derby field, which did not include several of the crop's best colts, and the fact that second-place Stedfast got away from the start poorly, losing far more ground than Sunstar's margin of victory. Opinions differ as to whether Sunstar was a better colt than the later-developing Prince Palatine, who won the St. Leger Stakes easily in his absence, but the latter is generally considered to be the year's champion 3-year-old male.
As an individual
A brown horse, Sunstar was said to be unusually handsome with excellent balance and a robust constitution. He had an excellent shoulder. His disposition was kindly. A useful juvenile, he improved rapidly in the early part of his 3-year-old season and won his first two starts easily but suffered a tendon injury to his near foreleg during a training gallop nine days before the Derby. He responded well enough to treatment to run in the Derby but aggravated the injury in the race itself and injured the other foreleg as well; according to contemporary reports, he was barely able to walk into the winner's circle. He was later able to resume training and was being targeted for the St. Leger Stakes when he broke down again in August, necessitating his retirement.
As a stallion
Sunstar sired at least 36 stakes winners. He is a Solid chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- 2nd on the combined English/Irish general sire list in 1920 and 1921; 3rd in 1916, 1918, and 1925; 4th in 1919; 5th in 1923; 8th in 1924.
- Led the combined English/Irish broodmare sire list in 1929 and 1930; 2nd in 1932 and 1933; 4th in 1926, 1929, and 1935; 6th in 1923; 7th in 1931; 8th in 1936; 10th in 1927.
- 3rd on the French general sire list in 1918.
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
- Led the combined English/Irish broodmare sire list in 1930.
Notable progeny
Alan Breck (GB), Buchan (GB), Craig an Eran (GB), Galloper Light (GB), North Star III (GB), Saltash (GB), Scopas (FR), Star Hawk (GB), Sunbonnet (GB), Sunny Jane (GB), Zodiac (GB)
Notable progeny of daughters
Ellangowan (GB), Kopi (GB), Tiffin (GB)
Connections
Foaled at Childwick Bury Stud, Sunstar was bred and owned by Jack Joel. He was trained by Charles Morton. After standing his entire stud career at Childwick Bury, he died of complications of laminitis in 1926 and was buried alongside his sire, Sundridge.
Pedigree notes
Sunstar is inbred 5x4 to 1863 St. Leger Stakes winner and 1876 English champion sire Lord Clifden. He is also inbred 5x5x5 to dual English Classic winner and seven-time English champion sire Stockwell, 5x5x5 to 1851 St. Leger Stakes winner and two-time English champion sire Newminster, and 5x5 to 1857 Two Thousand Guineas winner Vedette. He is a full brother to English juvenile stakes winner Radiant (by Sundridge). Another full brother, White Star, was a high-class juvenile in England but failed to train on as Sunstar did. Sunstar is also a half brother to 1914 One Thousand Guineas and Oaks Stakes winner Princess Dorrie (by Your Majesty).
Doris, the dam of Sunstar, was a pony-sized mare whose only wins were in 5-furlong selling races as a juvenile. She was sired by Loved One from the unraced Petrarch mare Lauretta, also the dam of Carlin (by Chittabob), whose produce included 1909 Goodwood Cup winner Carrousel (by Pietermaritzburg) and 1914 Hardwicke Stakes winner Peter the Hermit (by St. Petersburg). Produced from Ambuscade, Lauretta was herself a half sister to 1893 Goodwood Cup winner Barmecide (by Barcaldine); to La Trappe (by Hermit), second dam of 1918 Coaching Club American Oaks winner Rose d'Or; and to Spring Gun (by Springfield), third dam of 1925 Kentucky Derby winner Flying Ebony.
Books and media
- Sunstar is profiled in Chapter 12 of Sir Charles Leicester's Bloodstock Breeding (1957, J. A. Allen & Co. Ltd; revised by Howard Wright and released as a second edition by the same publisher in 1983).
- Sunstar is one of 205 stallions whose accomplishments at stud are profiled in Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, The Australian Bloodhorse Review), a massive reference work written by Jennifer Churchill, Andrew Reichard and Byron Rogers.
Fun facts
- Jack Joel reportedly landed £30,000 in bets on Sunstar's Derby win, far more than the purse the colt earned for the race. He celebrated the win by making small gifts to some 200 poor families.
- Sunstar's name was given to a locomotive of the Great Northern Railroad, an honor extended to a number of other top English runners. The locomotive Sunstar was in service from September 1924 to October 1962.
- Sunstar's dam Doris was in Jack Joel's broodmare band purely out of sentiment. Bred and owned by Joel's brother Solomon, Doris was named for Jack Joel's niece. When the unsentimental Solomon Joel announced his intent to sell the filly because of her poor race record, Jack protested that an animal named for a family member should not be sold away and promptly received the filly as a gift. Doris ended up producing 10 winners of £38,640 for Jack Joel.
Last updated: October 24, 2024