Starcraft (21 October 2000 - 3 November 2022) was a New Zealand-bred

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse who came to international attention when he won the

Group 1 Group 1 may refer to: * Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Alkali metal * Group 1 (racing), a historic (until 1981) classification for Touring car racing, applied to standard touring cars. Comparable to modern FIA Group N * Group On ...

Queen Elizabeth II Stakes The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is s ...

at Newmarket in England in September 2005. He was the winner of five Group One (G1) races in four countries, the 2004

Australian Champion Three Year Old The Australian Champion Three Year Old is awarded annually to the three-year-old Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any bree ...

and also the 2005 World Champion Older Turf Miler.

Breeding

He was a chestnut stallion, standing high, foaled at Garry and Mark Chittick's Waikato Stud in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. Starcraft was by

Soviet Star Soviet Star (20 April 1984 – 7 October 2014) was an American-bred French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was bred in Kentucky, sold as a yearling for $310,000 and sent to race in Europe where he proved to be an outstanding sprinte ...

(USA), from Flying Floozie (Pompeii Court (USA) - Lucky Heiress). He was half-brother to Forum Floozie (by Danasinga (AUS), a listed race winner of $478,530). Starcraft was auctioned as a yearling and sold for only NZ$80,000 to a syndicate of

Australians Australians, colloquially known as Aussies, are the citizens, nationals and individuals associated with the country of Australia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or ethno-cultural. For most Australians, several (or all) ...

, headed by Australian Paul Makin.

Racing record

Starcraft progressed from a second placing in a two-year-old maiden race in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

to winning the Group 1

Australian Derby Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal A ...

in Sydney, Australia as a three-year-old. Other victories included the Group 1

Chipping Norton Stakes The Chipping Norton Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older, run at weight for age, over a distance of 1600 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in February or March. Prizem ...

, also in Sydney. As a four-year-old he won the Group 2 Stoneybridge Stakes and Group 1

Mudgway Stakes The Tarzino Trophy also known as the Challenge Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run at Hastings Racecourse in Hawke's Bay and is New Zealand's first Group One race of the season. It is run over a distance of 1400m in September. The race is the ...

in New Zealand before being beaten into third place in the 2004

Cox Plate The W. S. Cox Plate is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and over under Weight for age conditions, over a distance of 2040 metres (approximately 1m 2f), that is held by the Moonee Valley Racing Club at Moo ...

after starting one of the favourites. Despite this setback the owners continued with their plans on worldwide campaign for Starcraft.

Overseas

Starcraft was taken to Great Britain on 4 February 2005 where he was trained by

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

Luca Cumani Luca M. Cumani (born 7 April 1949, in Milan, Italy) is an Italian thoroughbred horse trainer and breeder. He trained at Bedford House Stables in Newmarket from 1976 to 2019. He has trained a multitude of high-profile horses, including seven Cla ...

and was ridden by French jockey

Christophe Lemaire Christophe Patrice Lemaire (Japanese:, born 20 May 1979) is a French-born jockey. He has enjoyed much of his success on the Japanese flat racing circuit, with the most wins at Japan Racing Association racetracks for five consecutive years sinc ...

. In Europe, he surprised many Northern Hemisphere race fans with his dominance when he won the 1,600 metre

Prix du Moulin The Prix du Moulin de Longchamp is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile), and it is sch ...

at Longchamp,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

. He proved this was no fluke, and that he was the dominant miler in Europe, when winning the G1

which was held at Newmarket because Ascot was being refurbished at the time. This was his 11th win from 22 race starts and his fifth G1 success. The horse started in the $4 million

Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October ...

event at Belmont Park in the United States in 2005. The owners had to pay a fee of $800,000 to enter him in this race, which was considered a huge gamble because it was a dirt track and the horse had always previously raced on grass. He drew the outside barrier, got away to a slow start and finished 7th in a 13 horse field.

Stud record

Starcraft retired to stud in 2006. He served his first group of mares to Northern Hemisphere time at Cheveley Park Stud at

Newmarket, England Newmarket is a market town and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. Located (14 miles) west of Bury St Edmunds and (14 miles) northeast of Cambridge. It is considered the birthplace and global centre of thoroughbred h ...

. He was exported from England on 7 August 2006 and stood his first Southern Hemisphere season at Arrowfield Stud in the Hunter Region, New South Wales. He is the sire of over 250 live foals that have now won over $1,187,752, including: * Star Witness – (won G1 2010

Blue Diamond Stakes The Blue Diamond Stakes is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-olds, at set weights, run over 1200 metres at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The event is Victoria's richest two-year-old race ...

, G1 2010 Coolmore Stud Stakes) * We Can Say It Now - (won G1 2010

Levin Classic The Group One Levin Classic - formerly the Bayer Classic - is one of the premier races for three-year-old thoroughbreds in New Zealand. History The race, first run under the name Levin Turf Classic, was originally run at Levin Racecourse until t ...

, G1 2010

Captain Cook Stakes The Captain Cook Stakes is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run at weight-for-age over a distance of 1,600 metres (1 mile) at Trentham Racecourse in Wellington, New Zealand. Over the years the race has been won by great New Zealand racehorses s ...

) In 2010 66 Starcraft yearlings were sold for an average of $99,288. His advertised 2011 service fee is $44,000. Starcraft died on 3 November 2022 after a short illness.

References

External links