Sunline was a Champion race horse nearby the turn of the millennium. She retired as the foremost stakes winning mare in the world with a total of over million in stakes money. Sunline won 32 of her 48 starts, along with 13 Group 1 races.
Sunline was foaled in New Zealand on 29 September, 1995 by the imported stallion, Desert Sun by Green Desert. She was out of the Nz bred Western Symphony mare called Songline. The house was a moderate one in recent generations, although it does trace to the legendary Nz racehorse of the 1930's in Phar Lap. Sunline was retained by her breeders, Susan Archer and Michael Martin and leased to Nz trainer, Trevor McKee.
Kingston
The filly had her first start in Nz as a two year old in May, 1998. She was to win her first four starts in that country before being sent to Australia where she won her next three starts in the Spring of that year. This was to culminate in her first Group 1 win in the Ajc Flight Stakes at Randwick. After a spell, she returned with a victory in Nz before tasting defeat for the first time when second to Rose O' War in the Group 3 Angus Armanasco Stakes for 3yo fillies over 1600m at Caulfield. Sunline quickly bounced back to her winning ways at her next two starts along with an additional one Group 1 victory in the Doncaster Handicap. She then was unplaced for the first time in her career behind Intergaze in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes over 2000m.
After a spell, Sunline returned to racing in Australia in the Spring of 1999. She kicked off with a win in the Group 2 Warwick Stakes over 1400m but was then to narrowly be beaten into second in her next two starts. Sunline then ran fourth to Allez Suez in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap before tackling the Cox Plate for the first time. Sunline proved to be at home at the tricky Moonee Valley course, and was to win the Cox Plate for the following two years. She attempted to match Kingston Town's description of three straight Cox Plates in 2002, but was narrowly beaten by an additional one Champion of the time in Western Australian bred, Northerly.
Sunline prolonged to race until she was a seven year old. During that time, she won a total of 32 races along with 28 stakes races. She was to remain unbeaten in her career in her native New Zealand. Sunline ventured to both Hong Kong and Dubai for international races, and her best results were a win in the Hong Kong Mile, and third in the Dubai Duty Free Stakes behind the good international galloper, Jim and Tonic.
In Australia, Sunline was to win ten Group 1 races along with the Cox Plate, Doncaster Handicap, Coolmore excellent and All-Aged Stakes on two occasions each. She was first voted Nz Horse of the Year in 1999, and held that crown for the next three racing seasons. Sunline also was awarded Australia's Horse of the Year title from 2000 to 2002. She was later inducted into both the New Zealand and Australian Racing Hall's of Fame.
Sunline retired from racing in October, 2002. She was tragically euthanized in 2009 after suffering from laminitis for some time. As a broodmare, Sunline was only ever to furnish four love foals. None have been able to match their famous mother's record. Two of these, Sunstrike and Sun Ruler were to make headlines in Nz on 19 December, 2009 when they met in a race at Te Rapa. The younger Sun Ruler was to win by a nose in a modest Rating 70 event.
Sunline: Champion Australian Thoroughbred Race Horse
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